‘I called Rahul Dravid and said sorry’, India pacer Akash Deep recalls night before national team debut

Not everyone gets to play Test cricket for the national team. It is often considered that whoever gets to play Test cricket are made of certain breed. Usually for a cricketer who has been called up in the Indian team for the first time, there are lots of messages from unknown numbers who would be wishing him/her and they tend to ignore those.

Akash Deep was no different but little did he realise that one of those was from former India captain and then head coach Rahul Dravid. The India pacer, who was a part of the squad in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia, narrated the funny incident that happened just a night before his Test debut.

In an interview with YouTube channel Sports Launchpad, Akash Deep admitted the mistake he had done by ignoring Rahul Dravid's message and revealed that he said ‘sorry’ to the legendary figure.

“Getting your Test cap is a dream for every cricketer.. and like every other kid I wanted to play Test cricket for the country. I got a message from Rahul Dravid, but I didn’t have his number," Akash Deep said.

“So, I thought, if someone was asking me if I was playing the Test match, so I ignored it,” continued the India bowler. “Then I noticed it and realised it was Rahul sir’s message. Then I called him up and said sorry to him. And that is when he confirmed that I was playing,” he said.

How did Akash Deep fare on his debut?

Born in Bihar but plays for Bengal in domestic cricket, Akash Deep made his debut in the third Test against England in 2024 in Ranchi. In fact, he got his Test cap from Rahul Dravid himself.

Akash Deep made an impact straightaway by dismissing the England then top three of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope en route to India's victory by five wickets.

The 28-year-old also revealed that it wad Rahul Dravid who advised him to call his family for the match. They were present on the ground when Akash Deep was handed his maiden India captain.

"Rahul sir even asked me to inform my family and call them to watch the proceedings. And Ranchi is close to my place, just 4-5 hours.. That night, I remember, I did not have any butterflies and slept pretty well. That is maybe because, I was seeing that opportunity as a responsibility,” he added.

What's next for Akash Deep?

Akash Deep is currently recuperating at the National Cricket Academy after suffering a back niggle. With Bengal's chances of qualifying for the Ranji Trophy knockouts are far from reality, Akash Deep will next be seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Lucknow Super Giants who bought him for ₹8 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction.