New Delhi, April 18: “Fallen, but so what? I will rise and walk again. From ashes, I will emerge as fire. Breaking is not my nature; I will gather and unite. This time, I aim to soar higher than the sky.” These lines perfectly encapsulate the journey of Indian cricketer Deepak Hooda. Once, after a dispute with Krunal Pandya, Deepak believed his cricket career was over. However, he managed to regroup and made a remarkable comeback, securing his place in the Indian team.
Deepak Hooda was born on April 19, 1995, in Rohtak, Haryana. From an early age, he had a strong affinity for cricket, but the lack of basic facilities in Haryana pushed him to relocate to Baroda. His consistent performances led him to play his first domestic match for Baroda in 2014, where he made an immediate impact with a century against Bengal, along with taking three wickets.
Deepak’s impressive domestic performances caught the attention of many, including former cricketers Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, who supported him in establishing his career. His hard work paid off when he was bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹40 lakh in the 2015 IPL.
As Deepak’s career flourished, a shocking incident in 2021 shook him to his core. Just before the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, he had a confrontation with Baroda’s captain, Krunal Pandya, accusing him of attempting to end his cricket career. Following this, Deepak left the team’s bio-bubble and was suspended for the entire season. This incident left him devastated, and he felt his international career was over before it even began.
During this challenging time, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan once again stepped in to support him, encouraging him to return to the field. Deepak joined Rajasthan in domestic cricket and never looked back. His continued excellence in domestic matches earned him a call-up to the Indian team in 2022. He made his ODI debut on February 6, 2022, against the West Indies, and also had the opportunity to start his T20 International career in the same month against Sri Lanka.
To date, Deepak has played 10 ODIs for India, scoring 153 runs at an average of 25. In T20 Internationals, he has amassed 368 runs at a strike rate of 147 over 17 innings. Notably, he is among the few Indian batsmen to have scored a century in the shortest format of the game. Additionally, he has taken 9 wickets across both formats.
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