Quite a story!

Quite a story! The insane rise of Akash Deep- the man who came from mud, grief & hopelessness… to wear the India jersey. 15th December 1996, a baby boy was born to a schoolteacher Ramji Singh and his wife in a small village near Sasaram, Bihar. They named him Akash. There was no cricket academy, no infrastructure, just gully cricket with a tennis ball. But little Akash only bowled, never cared about batting. At 10, his bowling caught attention. Friends told his father, “Put him in an academy. He could play for India.” But in Bihar, academies were a joke. No facilities. At just 14, he migrated from Dehri, Bihar to West Bengal in search of better cricketing opportunities. But soon, he had to return home, his father had suffered paralysis, and the family needed him more than ever. 2015, Life flipped. His father passed away. His elder brother stepped up. “You play, I’ll manage the family.” But just 6 months later, even his brother died. Akash became the only earning member of his family, his mother and two sisters depended on him. So he quit cricket.Between 2015 and 2018, Akash Deep did manual labor for ₹100–150 per day. He worked in sand-loading work, carrying sand from riverbeds to trucks. No helmet. No gloves. No dreams. Just survival. He had disappeared from cricket. Everyone thought he was done.Akash’s cousin brother once again pushed him to go back to Bengal and pursue cricket. This time, he listened. To survive, he started playing tennis ball tournaments for prize money. Soon, he joined the United Club in Bengal to train seriously. During his early days with Bengal, he lived in a dormitory so rundown that coach Arun Lal called it “unbearable” and “a bloody hellhole.” Yet Akash never complained once. Despite the harsh conditions, he was known for his mental toughness. Arun Lal said Akash was “stronger than all the others” and admired his work ethic.Akash was raw, but his ability to reverse swing impressed everyone. He was selected for Sourav Ganguly’s ‘Vision 2020’, a program to groom West Bengal’s cricket talent. Free coaching, gear, nutrition, mentors, Akash finally had a support system. He made it to Bengal U23 and then to the senior Ranji team. He took 42 wickets for Bengal in one Ranji season.In 2021, he was picked as a net bowler by RCB. He bowled to Maxwell and Kohli, and impressed the support staff. In 2022, RCB officially signed him for 20 Lakhs. In a game vs KKR, he took 3 big wickets, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Umesh Yadav. From sandbags to IPL, the miracle had begun.Feb 2024, Bumrah rested during India vs England Test series. Akash Deep was called up. He debuted in Ranchi. His mother sat in the stands and cried. This was the boy who once earned 100/day. Now, he was dismissing Duckett, Pope, and Crawley on debut. Just before his England tour 2025, his sister was diagnosed with cancer. He kept it private, even from teammates, until after his historic 10-wicket haul July 2025, Bumrah rested again in England. Akash Deep got the nod. India made 587. Then came the question “Who will take England’s 20 wickets without Bumrah?” Answer: Akash Deep. He took 4 wickets in the first innings, and then 6 in the second, including Root, Brook, Duckett & Pope, all bowled! First Indian pacer in 21 years to take 10 wickets in a match in England. A man who once did hard labor just to feed his family… now stood among the stars. He didn’t just break into Team India. He shattered every limitation, financial, emotional, systemic. This is not just a cricket story. It’s a story of belief, of how even at your lowest, your rise can begin. Someone out there needs to read this. To know it’s never too late. To remember that circumstances are temporary but willpower is everything. Respect, Akash Deep.