'Aapke Pitaji Jahan Pe Bhi Hai Woh...,' Rahul Dravid To Debutant Akash Deep As Emotional Speech Goes Viral; Watch

Dravid ensured he retold Akash Deep's inspiring journey to everyone when he handed the Test cap to the Bihar-born pacer ahead of the fourth Test vs England in Ranchi.

Rahul Dravid and Akash Deep. (Image: ANI)

The India Vs England Test series has become as much about stories as it i about skills of the players. Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel got their Test caps in Rajkot. In Ranchi, we had another player from a small town making it big. He is Akash Deep, who comes from a small village near Sasaram in Bihar and plays for Bengal in Domestic Cricket. A right-arm medium pacer, Akash has had to go through a lot of pain and struggles in his life. He lost his father at a very young age and then came the double blow of losing his elder brother as well.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Akash Deep lost his aunt and sister-in-law too as the family was hit by the deadly disease that had brought the world to the halt. His mother too was critical during Covid wave but somehow good treatment saved her. She was there at JSCA International Stadium, in MS Dhoni's hometown, to see her son get the Test cap. 

It was India head coach and batting great Rahul Dravid who handed over the Test cap to Akash but not before a very emotional speech. Dravid narrated Akash's story to the world, which started from Baddi village, just 200 kms away from Ranchi. Dravid told Akash to enjoy the moment and his career as he has worked hard and taken a lot of personal blows in life to see this day. 

"Your journey started from this small village named Baddi, which is just 200 kms away from here. You have been through a lot of pain in this journey. You have worked hard. You have seen many ups and down as well. You went from Baddi to Delhi to pursue career in cricket, all alone, taking inspiration from India's 2007 T20 World Cup. You worked hard to get selected in Delhi but things did not go your way. Then you left Delhi for Bengal and came to Kolkata. You played domestic cricket and performed brilliantly. Here, in Ranchi, you complete a full circle as you get your Test cap here, just 200 kms away from Baddi where your journey began. This is a very happy moment. Your mother and family members are here," said Dravid.

Dravid told Akash that his father and elder brother might not be here but their blessings and good wishes will always be with you.

"It is sad that your father and elder brother are not here among us. But I am sure wherever they are, they are blessing you. We, the Indian team, also wish you the best on your debut. Enjoy the match. You have worked hard to get here and we are happy that we are here as you fulfill your dream today. Enjoy these five days to come and your career. I am very happy to hand you this Test cap number 313 to you, Akash Deep," Dravid concluded.

Words that inspire __ ft. Rahul Dravid

Dreams that come true _

A debut vision like never seen before _

Akash Deep - What a story _#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/vSOSmgECfC

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 23, 2024

His mother who spoke to BCCI.tv, said that she has never felt so happy in life and is short of words to describe the moment. Akask Deep touched his mother's feet after getting the Test cap and hugged her tightly. It was an emotional moment but Akash Deep still said that he feels great but also feels a sense of responsibility as this was an important match for the team.

Akash Deep meant what he said and picked up three wickets in just his first spell, removing Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope with some beautiful deliveries.