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The India National Cricket Team pacer Akash Deep has performed amazingly in the Irani Cup 2026/27 for the Rest of India side against the reigning Ranji Trophy champions, Jammu and Kashmir. He picked up six wickets in the game and bowled brilliantly. Ahead of the New Zealand tour, he will surely be in contention; before that, he spoke about his injury and workload management.
India will be playing a two-match Test series against the New Zealand National Cricket Team, which will be crucial to keep their hopes alive for the World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification, as they at least have to win one game in this series. They have been in decent red-ball form, as they won against Sri Lanka away from home.
"Perhaps my body needed rest": Akash Deep on injury woes and comeback
Speaking to Abhishek Tripathi of Jagran News, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Akash Deep stated that he was disappointed after being sidelined with an injury despite working hard throughout the year, as he believes that he has been playing professional cricket for nearly a decade and this is the first time he has suffered such a major injury.
🔥 वर्कलोड मैनेजमेंट पर फोकस, व्हाइट बाल क्रिकेट में सुधार कर रहा हूं: आकाशदीप 🔥 न्यूजीलैंड के लिए खुद को तैयार करने में जुट हैं आकाशदीप https://t.co/R8E4VaIM7u
— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) October 5, 2026
He said (as quoted by Sportscape Magazine), “Initially, it was a bit disappointing. I had worked so hard and suddenly was sidelined by injury. I missed several tournaments during this time, but during my break, I realized that I had been playing professional cricket for almost 10 years and had never suffered such a long-term injury before.”
“Perhaps my body needed rest. I thought that if I worked on myself during this time and strengthened my physical condition, my career could last longer,” he said.
"I didn't have any issues with the number of balls": Akash Deep on workload management
He further spoke on his workload as he revealed that he has increased his workload as he has been bowling 35 overs in a week, and also he did not have any kind of issue doing it. However, he feels that anyone can do net practice or play a practice match, but the intensity comes in a real match.
“I've increased my workload at the COE, bowling around 35 overs a week. I didn't have any issues with the number of balls, but the rhythm of a match is different. You can do anything in the nets or a practice match, but the rhythm of a real match is different. Still, I feel I've bowled enough at the COE and my body is ready for it,” Akash Deep added.
Akash Deep does not pay attention to competition
While speaking on competition against each other in the team, he stated that he does not pay much attention to these. He only focuses on improving his skills and performance. He looks to do the basics well and not get influenced by aggressive batters.
“I don't pay much attention to these things. My focus is on improving myself. I think about how much I can improve my performance and skills. That was my focus when I started, and it remains the same today. I never think about who my competition is. The biggest confidence comes from wearing the Indian jersey and stepping onto the field.”
“My focus is on how long I can perform my basics well. I'm not overly influenced by how aggressive a batsman is or his style. I focus on consistently bowling to my strengths,” he further said.
"My primary focus is improving my white-ball cricket": Akash Deep on improving skills
Akash Deep also revealed his goal about playing white-ball cricket. He revealed that his main goal is to improve in white-ball cricket and work on his batting skills as well as his bowling. KKR pacer will work on his game-reading skills and adapting to the conditions and the batters as a white-ball bowler. The Bengal-based pacer has not made his international debut in ODIs and T20Is for India.
When asked about his plans for white-ball cricket, Akash Deep stated: “My primary focus is improving my white-ball cricket. I need to score runs for my team and play a key role with the ball. I'll work on reading the game, adapting to the pitch, and adjusting my bowling to suit the batsman. These are the things that will improve my game going forward. I'm also focusing on my batting. Runs are also expected from a player batting at number eight or nine.”
“I've realized that over the past eight to ten years, I haven't had enough time to prepare for white-ball cricket. For the past four to five years, there's been a continuous cycle of playing long domestic tournaments and then playing for India. Often, after playing 10 to 12 Ranji Trophy matches, the body and mind need rest. Therefore, dedicating 10 days of dedicated preparation for white-ball cricket was difficult. But now, I'm working on improving my white-ball skills, and I feel I've made significant progress,” he further added.
