The India National Cricket Team is gearing up for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE, and Akash Deep would certainly be hoping to be on the flight, especially after his successful maiden tour of England.
Presently, the Indian selectors are preparing to select the team for the tournament.
Akash Deep played three Tests in England and made a significant impact with both bat and ball. The Indian seamer finished the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 with 13 wickets at an average of 36.46, including a 10-wicket match haul in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.
Akash Deep awaits Indian selectors’ call ahead of the Asia Cup 2025
The seamer, who hails from Bihar’s Sasaram, also played a stunning knock of 66 runs in the final Test and scalped two wickets to help India beat England by six runs to level the five-match Test series 2-2 at The Oval last week. Now, India’s focus shifts to limited-overs cricket.
There have been notions that Akash is not on the radar for the T20I selection for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 next month, as he has been mainly seen as a Test specialist. Even the 28-year-old bowler has not yet made his white-ball debut for India.
He has so far played only 10 Tests, taking 28 wickets. However, in his short IPL career, Akash impressed many, taking 10 wickets in 14 matches, but there is still no clarity whether he would be given the chance in either T20Is or ODIs. When he was asked about the same, the Indian seamer put the entire blame on the national selectors.
We can’t just go and talk to selectors: Akash Deep
Ahead of the squad announcement for the Asia Cup 2025, Akash cleared the air on his role in the team by saying that he has not been given any fixed format to focus on. He believes that the national selectors will decide when and where his services are needed.
Akash Deep was quoted as saying by PTI: “We can’t just go and talk to selectors. They are experienced people, and when they feel that they need me for any format, they will summon me. My job is to perform and be ready for call-ups.”
Akash Deep praises Shubman Gill’s calm and clever leadership
Meanwhile, Akash Deep has stressed that the transition from Rohit Sharma to Shubman Gill’s captaincy was smooth. Having already played under Gill in the Duleep Trophy, the seamer feels comfortable with his leadership, and his calm nature makes things easy for him.
Praising Gill’s leadership, Akash said, “He is a very good captain. It’s not like he is a new captain. He has already been an IPL captain for a couple of years, which is a big platform. That experience does count. With Shubman as captain, I didn’t feel like I was playing for the first time.”
The Indian bowler signed off by saying, “He’s very supportive. When a captain supports you and understands things well, especially when you are down, it makes a big difference. I played in the Duleep Trophy under his captaincy last year, so it wasn’t the first time. He is a cool customer with a lot of ideas, and when someone is calm, it helps in taking good on-field decisions.”