Team India's brilliant spin bowling all-rounder player Deepak Hooda has been selected for the T20 World Cup squad travelling to Australia. Deepak has proven himself in the side and can turn out to be a very lucky player for India. , India won the 17 matches in which Deepak has played (including ODIs and T20Is).
This is why Deepak is also called the 'Lucky Charm' of India. But it took him 27 years to make it to the national team during a career full of struggle. Here, we take a look at his long career and how he made it to the team.
Where was Deepak Hooda born?
Deepak Hooda was born on April 19, 1995, in Rohtak, Haryana. His father Jagbir Hooda was an Air Force employee and also a Kabaddi player. But Deepak decided at the age of 11 that he wanted to become a cricketer. He did not have the support of his father, he said that it would be very difficult to play professionally in the future. However, Deepak stuck to his decision and did not give up.
Beginning of professional cricket
When Deepak was 11 years old, his father and brother enrolled him at the Youth Friends Cricket Club in Delhi. It was here that Deepak learned the sport. He used to bowl spin from the beginning. However, Deepak's coach Ravinder Paul Sharma had advised him to bat and keep as well. This did not stop him from bowling right-arm off-spin, moulding him into a dangerous all-rounder.
Journey from Haryana to Baroda
In 2009, when Deepak was 14 years old, he was playing for the Kendriya Vidyalaya U-17 team. He performed well at the School Games Federation India and in the same year, he was called to train at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. Through his performance, he was selected for Baroda's U-17 and U-19 teams. This also meant that Deepak earned a place in the 2014 ICC U-19 Team India.
Deepak's domestic career
Deepak Hooda first started his domestic career in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. He made his debut on March 19, 2013, against Gujarat for Baroda. But he got to play only two matches before making his first-class debut in Ranji Trophy in 2014. Deepak has scored 2908 runs so far with the bat in 46 first-class matches for Baroda, 2398 runs in List A, and 2975 runs in 169 matches in T20 domestic cricket so far.
Left Baroda after quarrel with older Pandya
Allegedly a year ago, Deepak Hooda had a fight with Hardik Pandya's elder brother, and Baroda captain Krunal Pandya. Krunal allegedly abused him during a practice session just before a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match. Even the coach did not support him. Munaf Patel and the coach were present there at that time. He then left the camp and soon, the team, before joining Rajasthan's domestic side.
Deepak's international career
Deepak Hooda took a long time to earn a place in Team India. His dream was fulfilled at 27 when he played the first ODI of his career on February 6, 2022, against West Indies. After this, he has not looked back and even notched his first century while opening during the Ireland tour. Deepak has so far scored 141 runs and taken wickets in eight ODIs for India. In T20Is, he has scored 293 runs in 12 matches with only one wicket to his name.
Achievements of Deepak Hooda
He won the Lala Amarnath Award for his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2014-15.
Hooda scored his first double-century in first-class cricket while playing for Baroda in the fourth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy.
He was also the second-highest run-scorer and second-highest wicket-taker at the 2014 U-19 World Cup.
In the U-19 World Cup of January 2014 against Sri Lanka, he won the team with his bowling and was awarded the man of the match.
