Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might be a little bit optimistic, as their new recruit Prashant Veer conceded 4 sixes in an over against pacer Akash Deep, who will be featured in Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) jersey in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026).

On January 8, during the Bengal vs Uttar Pradesh Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT 2025-26) match, Akash Deep walked into the crease as the number 8 batter for Bengal. He soon found himself up against Prashant Veer, who was sold to CSK for a whopping price tag of INR 14.20 crore. With the staggering amount, Veer joined one of the most successful IPL teams with a lot of expectations. Akash gave him a reality check.

The Bengal pacer secured 33 off 16 with 4 over-boundaries and one boundary. Against Veer, he got 30 runs in 8 balls, and the emerging all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh concluded his 9-over spell with 1 wicket against 59 runs.

Read More: Watch: Ahead of IPL 2026 SRH new recruit deliveries dream delivery in KAR vs MP VHT 2025-26 match

Despite the stormy cameo of Akash, Bengal could not manage to win the match. Batting first, they registered 269/10 in 45.1. Uttar Pradesh chased down the total in 42.2 overs, with 5 wickets in hand.

Full squad of KKR for IPL 2026:

Retained Players

Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Ankul Roy, Rovman Powell, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Umran Malik.

New Players

Cameron Green (25.20 cr), Matheesha Pathirana (18 cr), Mustafizur Rahman (9.20 cr), Tejasvi Singh (3 cr), Finn Allen (2 cr), Tim Seifert (1.50 cr), Rahul Tripathi (75 L), Kartik Tyagi (30 L), Daksh Kamra (30 L), Sarthak Ranjan (30 L), Prashant Solanki (30 L), Akashdeep (1 cr), Rachin Ravindra (2 cr)

Full squad of CSK for IPL 2026:

Retained Players

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, M.S. Dhoni, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis. Traded in: Sanju Samson (from RR).

New Players

Kartik Sharma (14.20 cr), Prashant Veer (14.20 cr), Rahul Chahar (5.20 cr), Akeal Hosein (2 cr), Matt Henry (2 cr), Matthew Short (1.50 cr), Aman Khan (40 L), Sarfaraz Khan (75 L), Zakary Foulkes (75 L).

Bowling continues to be a tough job even in the fourth round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26, as only a few bowlers stood out with some strong performances to lift their team over the line. Some youngsters, who have already appeared in the IPL, stood out with a fine show.

Even the experienced players like Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep or Anshul Kamboj, who have already tasted international cricket, also put up a great performance in the four rounds of the white-ball 50-over tournament.

A look at the top 5 bowling performances from Day 4 of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26

1.   Darshan Nalkande (Vidarbha)

Darshan Nalkande has already featured in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans in the last three seasons of the league. The right-arm pacer, who picked up three wickets in IPL 2024, didn’t feature in a single game last season but has made a strong case to be included in the starting 11 with his clinical performance of four wickets for 33 runs in 6.1 overs.

See Also: Top 5 batting performances from Day 4 of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26

This helped Vidarbha bundle out Chandigarh for 113 in just 29.1 overs before they completed the successful chase by eight wickets with more than 27 overs to go. Nalkande won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his heroics.

Brief Scores: Vidarbha 114/2 (Dhruv Shorey 43, Sandeep Sharma 1/16) beat Chandigarh 113 (Sanyam Saini 36, Darshan Nalkande 4/33) by eight wickets.  

2.   Mukhesh Kumar and Akash Deep (Bengal)

Mukesh Kumar has been out of the Indian side for more than a year. But he has put in some fine performances with the ball in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26, especially in the last two contests. Fresh from his five-wicket haul against Chandigarh, the Bengal pacer picked up four for 16 runs in his six overs against Jammu & Kashmir, which helped Bengal to bundle out the opposition for 63 runs in 20.4 overs.

Meanwhile, he got full support from Akashdeep, who, however, has been a regular member in India's away Test matches. The right-arm pacer finished with 4 for 32 before Bengal completed an easy chase by 9 wickets inside 10 overs.

Brief Scores: Bengal 64/1 (Abhishek Porel 30, Auqib Nabi 1/21) beat Jammu & Kashmir 63 (Paras Dogra 19, Mukhesh Kumar 4/16, Akash Deep 4/32) by 9 wickets.

3.   Sukhdeep Bajwa (Punjab)

Punjab’s right-arm pacer, Sukhdeep Bhajwa, made his first-class debut last year against Bihar and has a decent performance of four wickets in two innings at an average of 34.25. He made his White Wall debut in this ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy against Maharashtra and has impressed with some fine bowling performances.

However, his best performance in List-A cricket came against Himachal Pradesh, where he opened the bowling for Punjab and ended with a stunning figure of four for 17 in 7.2 overs at an economy rate of 2.3, including one maiden. Punjab completed chasing off 222 by 6 wickets with nearly 14 overs to spare.

Brief Scores: Punjab 223/4 (Prabhsimran Singh 84, Anmolpreet Singh 72, Rohit Kumar 2/32) beat Himachal Pradesh 221 (Pukhraj Mann 76, Sukhdeep Bajwa 4/17) by six wickets.

4.   Ankur Panwar (Saurashtra)

Saurashtra experienced a tough campaign in the first few rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but they slowly started to turn the tables with a 74-run victory against Andhra Pradesh, thanks to some performances from their right-arm pacer, Ankur Panwar.

In the first inning, Saurashtra posted a decent score of 254 in their allotted 50 overs with three of their batters failing to convert their half-centuries into three-figure marks. It needed some special bowling performance in the second innings after Ankur finished with five for 27 in his ten overs at an economy rate of 2.7, including two maidens to bundle Andrea for 180 runs.

Brief Scores: Saurashtra 254/7 (Chirag Jani 69, Harvik Desai 61, Satyanarayan Raju 3/45) beat Andhra 180 (CR Gnaneshwar 33, Ankur Panwar 5/27) by 74 runs.

5.   Anshul Kamboj (Haryana)

Anshul Kamboj got his first taste of international cricket during the recent Test match series for India against England away from home. He also experienced a successful yet short IPL 2025 stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, Kamboj needed to put up a strong performance in domestic cricket to develop some of his skills.

He bowled some great line and length against services to end with a decent figure of 4/43 in 10 overs at an economy rate of 4.3. Haryana later completed the chase by 7 with their captain Ankit Kumar remaining unbeaten on 144 in 123 balls, thanks to 14 boundaries and four sixes.

Brief Scores: Haryana 275/3 (Ankit Kumar 144*, H Rana 64, Nitin Yadav 2/35) beat Services 271/8 (Irfan Ali 103, Anshul Kamboj 4/43) by seven wickets. 

Actress Akriti Negi’s incredible Rise and Fall journey has become one of the amazing moments of the season in no time. Her bravery, a never-say-die attitude, and a unique sense of humor have not only won the hearts of the audience but also gotten the attention of the Indian cricket stars.

The show hosted by businessman Ashneer Grover has contestants locked into a unique setup where they are tested for their resilience and adaptability. Akriti, who earlier appeared on Splitsvilla and Roadies, has earned a reputation as one of the strongest participants on the show. With the finale drawing near, a clip of Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan urging fans to vote for her has gone viral on social media.

The video, shared by tennis player Anshuman Srivastava on Instagram, shows Ishan Kishan appealing, “Please everyone, vote only for Akriti.” In the background, Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh’s songs can be heard playing, adding a fun element that caught the attention of fans.

Cricketers’ Support and Rumoured Connections

Ishan’s support surprised many fans, who expected him to back Dhanshree Verma, the ex-wife of Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Rumors also suggest that all-rounder Nitish Reddy and pacer Akash Deep have quietly backed Akriti Negi, though none have posted publicly on social media.

Watch the video here

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Anshumat Srivastava (@anshumatsrivastava)

See Also: 'What more can I...'- Suryakumar Yadav's special message to Oman after post 21-run win in Asia Cup 2025

A possible reason behind Ishan Kishan’s vocal support is Akriti’s rumored relationship with tennis player Anshuman Srivastava. Considering that Anshuman is close friends with both Ishan and Shubman Gill, Ishan’s support looks more like a gesture of goodwill to the partner of his friend.

The Indian wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, will not feature for the East Zone for the curtain raiser of the Duleep Trophy 2025 as he hasn’t recovered fully from the minor injury that he picked up in the United Kingdom during his stint with Nottinghamshire. The selectors have replaced him with Odisha’s Ashirwad Swain. It has been revealed that the Jharkhand batter fell off an e-bike.

That was the reason why he wasn’t considered as the replacement of Rishabh Pant ahead of India's fifth and final red-ball clash against England at the Kennington Oval. This was why N Jagadeesan flew as back-up to Dhurv Jurel. Kisha’s injury doesn’t appear to be a serious one, as he could play for India A in the upcoming two four-day fixtures against Australia next month.

See Also: Asia Cup 2025: Why Shubman Gill should be selected in the squad?

The southpaw will now continue to go through the fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru of the BCCI. In his absence, his state team-mate, Kumar Kushagra, will be the first-choice wicket-keeper for the East Zone.

East Zone to miss Akash Deep in Duleep Trophy 2025

East Zone will also be without their fast bowler, Akash Deep, who has been suggested to rest due to his niggle, whose fitness assessment is likely to happen a few days later. He was on the England trip recently and missed the fourth Manchester clash due to a back injury before smashing a fine fifty as a nightwatchman in the second innings of the fifth Oval Test.

Akash Deep enjoyed a decent series with 13 wickets in three games, including a maiden ten-wicket haul during the second Birmingham encounter. Akash has been replaced by Assam’s Mukhtar Hussain for the Abhimanyu-led side. Riyan Parag will be the deputy of Easwaran. Their squad is comprised of Mukhesh Kumar and Mohammed Shami.

East Zone will start their campaign on August 28 against Shubman Gill’s North Zone. All the games will be played at the CoE in Bengaluru.

Updated East Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2025 opener

Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Ashirwad Swain (wk), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Riyan Parag (vice-captain), Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Mukhtar Hussain, and Mohammed Shami

After returning from a successful Test series in England, Indian pacer Akash Deep marked the occasion by purchasing a sleek new car last week. The 28-year-old expressed his happiness by sharing the moment with fans on his official Instagram account.

In his post, Akash Deep wrote, “Dream delivered. Keys received with the ones who matter most,” along with a heart emoji, highlighting how he cherished the moment with family and close friends. Fans quickly responded with congratulatory messages and good wishes, appreciating his achievement both on and off the field.

This new purchase reflects not only Akash Deep’s cricketing success but also his personal joy and gratitude. By sharing the celebration publicly, the fast bowler showcased his humility and connection with supporters. It was a memorable way to mark a rewarding week after an impressive international tour.

See Also: ‘Today, we smile in freedom because they stood’- Virat Kohli honors India’s Armed Forces on 79th Independence Day

Akash Deep’s New Car Celebration Paused:

Akash Deep’s excitement over his new car was quickly interrupted. The Times of India reported that on Monday, August 11, the Lucknow RTO instructed the fast bowler not to drive his new SUV on public roads. The notice was issued because the car’s registration process was incomplete, and it lacked the mandatory high-security registration plate (HSRP) and third registration mark (TRM). 

HSRPs are specially designed number plates with security features like laser codes, holograms, and non-removable screws, making them difficult to steal. Until these formalities are completed, Akash Deep will need to keep his SUV off public streets, ensuring compliance with traffic and vehicle safety regulations.

The report mentioned that Akash Deep bought his car on August 7 and got a stylish registration number by August 9. However, the RTO later discovered that the temporary registration and the official registration certificate had not been fully processed on the Vahan portal, leaving the vehicle’s documentation incomplete.

The RTO instructed Akash Deep to appear in person or send an authorized representative within 72 hours, bringing all necessary documents related to his SUV purchase. At the same time, the car dealer who delivered the vehicle also received a show-cause notice from the RTO, highlighting lapses in completing the proper registration formalities.

Akash Deep to Miss Duleep Trophy:

After a challenging five-match Test series in England, Akash Deep has been withdrawn from the Duleep Trophy 2025 squad. The Assam fast bowler, Mukhtar Hussain, has been named as his replacement in the East Zone squad, according to a PTI report. This move comes as Team India manages player workloads following a long and intense overseas tour.

During the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, Akash Deep experienced discomfort, including a groin injury that forced him to miss the Manchester Test after playing at Lord’s. Although he returned for the final Test at The Oval, he struggled to find his best form. Across three matches, he took 13 wickets at an average of 36.46, with a standout performance of 6-99 at Edgbaston.

Indian pace bowling sensation Akash Deep has been a true revelation in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, where he picked up 13 wickets and played a pivotal role in helping India level the series. But far from the highs of the England tour, a rather unexpected controversy has rocked the UP-born speedster. Following his successful run in the five-match Test series, Deep posted a photo of a black-coloured Toyota Fortuner car on his Instagram account with the following caption:

"Dream delivered. Keys received. With the ones who matter most."

At first glance, not much seems odd about the picture. But if one looks at it more closely, his car is without a High Security Registration Plate (HSRP). In a massive development, the Uttar Pradesh Transport Department has come down hard on him and has issued a legal notice to the pacer for failing to incorporate an HSRP in his brand new vehicle. 

See also: The Hundred Women’s 2025 Live streaming details: Where and how to watch Southern Brave Women vs Northern Superchargers Women match 11

UP Transport Department reprimands Akash Deep

भारतीय क्रिकेटर आकाशदीप को यूपी परिवहन विभाग ने बिना HSRP और बिना रजिस्ट्रेशन के फॉर्च्यूनर चलाने पर नोटिस भेजा है।
शोरूम का ट्रेड सर्टिफिकेट निलंबित ।
कार्यालय परिवहन आयुक्त, लखनऊ । pic.twitter.com/TTfzOzjAg2

— Transport Department, UP (@uptransportdept) August 12, 2025

Amidst this ongoing controversy, Akash Deep is not the only guilty party here. M/s Sunny Motors, from whom the car was purchased, also faces strict punishment. The dealership has been suspended for a month as it delivered the car without completing registration or fitting an HSRP. Officials claim that the car was handed over to the cricketer following inadequate registration formalities and have given the dealership 14 days to respond to this allegation. 

The car model which featured in Deep's post is worth 62 lakhs INR, according to the cardekho.com website. Upon closer evaluation, the authorities ascertained that Deep had been in violation of Rule 44 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. An initial inquiry conducted by ARTO Lucknow and the VAHAN portal records indicated that the vehicle's sale invoice was generated on 7 August 2025, insurance was finalized on 8 August 2025; however, road tax had not been settled, and the registration process was still pending. Nevertheless, the vehicle was discovered in public operation. The dealer has been allotted 14 days to provide a legally acceptable justification, and failure to do so will result in the cancellation of their trade certificate.

When Virat Kohli decided to retire from the longest format of the game just a few weeks before the start of the five-match red-ball series in England, many thought that the Blue Brigade would lack experience in the team’s leadership department and the batting line-up. The selection committee decided to go with Shubman Gill as the new captain.

Gill was excellent in terms of his first away Test series in England, a place where playing Tests isn’t an easy job for this national side. But he handled the situation pretty well. Akash Deep, the Indian pacer, who was part of the squad and played three Tests at Edgbaston, Lord’s, and Oval in a seven-week trip, was asked if they missed Kohli during the tour.

See Also: Rishabh Pant ignored as India's Test captain due to Virat Kohli? Report drops jaw-dropping truth

“See, it’s a team. In my opinion, whenever we aren’t in the team, someone else will come into the side after us. But the environment of the side remains the same or perhaps used to be the same. Because the team is not made up of one player. It’s made up of 11 players, and all of them remain so vital.” Deep shed light during the recent interaction on Aj Tak.

Watch: Akash Deep gives cryptic reply on Virat Kohli’s absence in India’s test side

The Bihar-born pacer, who has overall picked up 28 wickets in 18 innings at an average of 35.68 and a strike rate of 54.8, thanks to the best bowling figures of 6/99 in an innings, highlighted how the former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, enhanced the Test skills and mindset of the side in the last few years.

Q: You've played with Kohli in tests. Does the Indian team miss him?

Akash Deep: See, there are 11 players in the team, so it's not about one player. All 11 players are equally important. 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/kSCGPqGH20

— ` (@WorshipDhoni) August 11, 2025

“So, during his day, he took the side to the peak, and you know, the changes he brought to the Test side, and now Gill is here, and the success he has had in the recent series. So, everyone is doing a great job in their department.” The Bengal pacer addressed.

Deep picked up 10 wickets during their second Test victory at Edgbaston in Birmingham before picking up another three wickets in the four innings at Lord’s and Oval.

Recently, a five-match Test series was played between India and England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The series ended in a 2-2 draw. The Indian team won the Test matches at Edgbaston by 336 runs and at the Oval by 6 runs. England won the matches at Leeds by 5 wickets and at Lord’s by 22 runs. After the England tour, the Indian players returned home. They got a few days' break, and after that, the Asia Cup will start next month.

Star fast bowler Akash Deep went to Banaras after coming back from England. There, he offered prayers at the Vishwanath temple. The Bengal pacer shared pictures on his Instagram account and wrote, “I didn’t ask for gold or silver. I only asked for a place at your feet.”

Also Read -"Getting hold of..."- Abhishek Nayar comments on challenges of coaching ahead of WPL 2026

Akash Deep’s Performance in England

The 27-year-old had a good series, taking 13 wickets in the three Tests he played. This included a match-winning 10-wicket haul in India’s record 336-run victory at Edgbaston. He also scored an important 66 runs in the final Test. He said it was a good experience because every pace bowler wants to play in England. Although the wickets were not as expected, the team put their heart and soul into every match to finish the hard-fought series on even terms. He called the series a great learning experience. Taking ten wickets in a match was significant, but scoring a half-century for the team was more important to him. While working on his half-century, his only thought was not to get out and to keep playing.

 

 

 

 

 

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Praise for Mohammed Siraj

Akash Deep also praised Mohammed Siraj, who played in all five Tests and finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series. He said that as a fast bowler, Siraj is very fit, and the way he works hard sets him apart. Playing five matches in a row is commendable. From this, Akash Deep learned that being mentally fit is more important than just being physically fit.

Before this, he also visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi after the BGT 2024-25 triumph. There, he wrote on Instagram and posted pictures from his visit to the famous temple with this caption: “Grateful for every blessing that comes my way. Seeking the blessing of Kashi Vishwanath ji. Har Har Mahadev.” He believes that the blessing of Lord Shiva is helping him take more wickets.

One of the most interesting events from the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 took place at Kennington Oval between England and India when Akash Deep, after dismissing Ben Duckett, walked up to the batter and put his arm around the opener’s shoulder. The England batter handled the situation pretty well and went back to the dressing room calmly.

Many former players, including Michael Atherton and the former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, reckoned that these acts should be avoided. A week after the conclusion of the contest, the Bengal pacer expressed the words Akash Deep exchanged with Duckett on that morning session of the second day.

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“I have a good record against Duckett and have got him out a few times. I have always fancied my chances against the left-handers, and he is no different. On that day, he was trying to throw me off my line and length and had played several unconventional shots. That’s when he said to me that it was his day and I would not be able to get him out.” Akash said on Revsportz.

Watch: Akash Deep reveals reason behind send-off to Ben Duckett during ENG vs IND 5th Test

The wicket, which broke the opening partnership of the home side, worked for the Blue Brigade as the Ollie Pope-led side collapsed to 247 after finding themselves at a dominating position.

“The truth is, if a batter moves around the pitch and plays these shots, your line and length do get impacted, for you don’t know what he will do next. That’s what was happening. Also, England were off to a quick start, and we needed a wicket. We were defending a modest score, and wickets were critical.” The Bihar-born shed light during the same interaction. 

“When I got him out (smiles), I said to him: ‘You miss, I hit. Not always will you win. This time, I win. It was a continuation of what he was saying to me, and it was all done in good spirit,” Akash Deep concluded.