File photo of Virat Kohli (L) and Akash Deep© X (Twitter)
Indian cricket team fast bowler Akash Deep finally revealed the story behind the gift that he received from star batter Virat Kohli just days ahead of the first Test match against Bangladesh in Chennai. During the pre-match camp, Virat gifted one of his own bats to Akash Deep - someone who was also his teammate at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In a recent interaction, Akash Deep recalled the emotional moment and said that it was Kohli himself who decided to gift him the bat. He further said that it was a big gift for him and he will never play with it as it will be kept as a souvenir in his room.
"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 asked me what kind of bat I use while batting, and I just smiled—I didn't have words," Akash Deep said during an interaction with Times of India.
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," he added.
Earlier, former Indian batter Manoj Tiwary heaped praise on pacer Akash Deep for his impressive bowling skills and opined that when the right-arm pacer will perform in overseas conditions, he will be standing alongside some of the great bowlers.
After an impressive Test debut against England earlier this year, Akash retained his spot in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, where he wreaked havoc with his pace and claimed two wickets in the same over on the second day.
"When Akash Deep came into the senior team from U23, it was clear that he had talent. He has worked very hard to turn that talent into performance and made all the sacrifices needed to achieve something significant. He's a hardworking and mentally stable player.
"So far, he's performed exceptionally well in Indian conditions. Imagine, when he plays in overseas conditions like Australia, England or South Africa, his performance will make him stand among some of the great bowlers," Tiwary told IANS.
(With IANS inputs)