"He came to me and asked, ‘Bat chaiye kya tujhe?" - Akash Deep opens up on Virat Kohli's heartwarming gesture ahead of IND vs BAN 1st Test 2024
Team India pacer Akash Deep narrated the story of receiving a bat from star batter Virat Kohli ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. The pacer took to his Social Media handle to thank Kohli for his gesture last week.
The duo had played together for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL before Akash Deep's international debut in the England series earlier this year.
In an interview with Times of India after India's thumping win over Bangladesh in the first Test, Akash Deep said:
"Virat bhaiya ne khud se bat diya tha [Virat bhaiya himself gave me the bat]. He must have observed something about my batting. I didn't ask for it; he came to me and asked, 'Bat chaiye kya tujhe?' Who wouldn’t want a bat from Virat bhaiya? He is a legend. I was very happy to hear his words and wanted that bat."
He added:
"He asked me what kind of bat I use while batting, and I just smiled—I didn't have words. Then he said, 'Yeh le, rakh le yeh bat.' I will never play with that bat; it is a big gift from Virat bhaiya, and I will keep it as a souvenir on the wall of my room. I even got his autograph on the bat."
Akash Deep's batting came to good effect in the first innings of the series opener against Bangladesh as he scored a 30-ball 17 to help India reach a formidable total of 376.
Meanwhile, Kohli had a rare poor outing with the willow, scoring only 23 runs combined in the two innings.
Akash Deep continued his dream start in Tests with the ball
Akash Deep played a pivotal role in Bangladesh's demise with the bat in their first innings, picking up figures of 2/19 in 5 overs.
The 27-year-old cleaned up Zakir Hasan and Mominul Haque off consecutive deliveries to reduce Bangladesh to 22/3 before lunch on Day 2. Akash Deep bowled only 11 overs in the match as the spinners took over in the second innings to help India win by 280 runs.
This was his second Test for India after a sensational debut against England in the fourth Test of the five-match series at Ranchi. Akash Deep picked up the first three wickets in that contest to help India restrict England to 353 in their first innings.
The pacer boasts impressive numbers with 5 wickets at an average of 24.40 in two Tests.