The fast bowler of the Indian team, Akash Deep, shared the story of his first day with the national squad when he was among such big players as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He recounted this during the 'Kheloge Kuduge Bangone Navab' session at the Panchayat Aajtak event held in Patna.
Akash Deep narrated that at that moment, he felt such intense fear that he thought he might have a heart attack, because there is a rule requiring a new player to give a speech upon their first inclusion in the team.
He noted that values such as respect for elders, discipline, and touching the feet of seniors were deeply ingrained in his native village. Even when he played for the regional team for the first time, there were former Indian players present, but they had already retired. However, when he was selected for the Indian national team, he found himself facing names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rahul Dravid.
Deep mentioned that due to the completely different atmosphere, he couldn't even touch the feet of these great athletes. According to the rules, a new player must say something about themselves upon joining the squad. At that time, Rahul Dravid asked him only one question: how was his journey up to that point and what did he feel. Akash Deep replied that the feeling was impossible to describe in words because it was a pure emotion.
He also mentioned that he was born in a village where playing cricket was considered almost a crime, and today, thanks to this sport, he receives such respect in his country. Akash Deep added that every time he sees great players and big teams, his confidence does not decrease; on the contrary, it increases. He emphasized that since childhood, he possessed this trait that made him strong in any difficult situation and motivated him to perform his best on big stages.
