Seven months is a long time to be away from the game you love. For Akash Deep, those months were spent in gyms, pools, and scan rooms. The fast bowler was recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back. Now he is finally ready to bowl again.
Akash has arrived in Srinagar for the Irani Cup. He will represent Rest of India against Jammu and Kashmir. It is his first competitive match since February. The excitement was clear when he saw the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium.
The 29-year-old has played ten Tests for India. His best moment came during the England tour last year. He took ten wickets in a match to help India win at Birmingham. He also gave Ben Duckett a friendly send-off during India’s series-levelling win at The Oval. Those days feel far away now. But Akash does not look back with sadness. He sees the time away as a blessing.
That outlook comes from his past. Akash grew up in Sasaram, Bihar. He lost his father and brother because they did not get timely medical help. He knows how lucky he is to have proper care now.
“I take everything positively,” Akash said. “If I have got injured today, I have the Centre of Excellence, a trainer, physio, coach, and four-five support staff. There are so many things set up for you to succeed. These are blessings.”
He added, “I’ve seen back in the village there’s been nobody when you’ve needed them. No one to even tell you what to do. So I didn’t see this phase as needing mental toughness. There was nothing to be depressed about.”
The Injury That Changed Everything
Akash first felt something was wrong in February. He was playing for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy. Bengal had not won the title since 1989-90. Akash wanted to change that.
In the build-up to the quarter-final, he fell ill. He had a fever, migraine, and sore throat. The body pain was so bad he thought he could not even walk. But he did not want to miss the match.
“I had a 102-degree fever, but I took paracetamol and played,” he recalled. “During the game, I was sweating a lot, but when my body cooled down, the fever would return. I played the entire game through this.”
He bowled nearly 30 overs and took five wickets. Bengal beat Andhra to reach the semi-final. Akash felt this was Bengal’s best chance to win the title. The hunger was strong.
But in the semi-final, things got worse. He felt fine in the first innings. In the second innings, pain started in his hamstring and glute. It was a tightness and a pinching sensation that went down his left leg. Bengal were defending only 126. Akash bowled six overs on the penultimate evening and took two wickets. The next morning, he bowled nine overs unchanged. Bengal lost.
The physical pain and the disappointment left him drained. Scans at the Centre of Excellence confirmed an L5 stress fracture. Akash was shocked. Then he accepted it. He felt lucky he did not need surgery.
The Slow Road to Recovery
Recovery was not easy. Akash was on complete rest for a month. After that, he started normal activities. He did core work and upper-body exercises with light weights. He avoided putting any strain on his back. Slowly, the weight increased. Then he used an anti-gravity treadmill. Only after that did he go outdoors.
Throughout his rehab, Akash talked to others who had been through similar injuries. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Mayank Yadav were often by his side. Bumrah and Hardik had surgeries. Akash asked them about their experiences.
“You wake up and you just have to work hard,” he said. “You don’t have to think about which exercise you have to do when you go to the gym, which rehab you have to do when you go to the physio, or how many balls you have to bowl when you go to the coach. It’s all managed.”
Akash also worked on his skills. He said with such injuries, the fear of recurrence can be high. He thought about how his body reacted in his second and third spells. He wanted to learn how to save himself for later spells.
Ready for the Challenge
Now Akash is back to bowling at full pace. He is testing his body the way he knows best: flat out, fast, and tirelessly. But he now understands his body’s limits much better.
“My strength is to bowl for a long time and to bowl in certain areas,” he said. “I will focus on that and get used to it.”
He said the Irani Cup is very important. He wants to get used to playing matches again. Physically he can sustain himself. But he also has to sustain himself mentally for six and a half hours a day, for five days.
“I want to get used to all these things and, whenever I get a chance, keep myself ready to deliver,” he said. “If the team needs it, I’ll bowl 20 overs a day. That’s how I’ve played my cricket, so I still won’t be able to do it any other way.”
FAQs
Q. How long was Akash Deep out with an injury?
A. Akash was out for seven months.
Q. What injury did Akash Deep suffer?
A. Akash suffered an L5 stress fracture in his lower back.
Q. Who will Akash Deep play against in the Irani Cup?
A. Akash will play against Jammu and Kashmir for Rest of India.
Q. How many Tests has Akash Deep played for India?
A. Akash has played 10 Tests for India.
Q. What does Akash Deep want from the Irani Cup?
A. Akash wants to regain match fitness and get used to playing again.
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