Akash Deep, a pacer for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has declared that he is well and prepared to participate in the 2025 Indian Premier League after recovering from a three-month-long back ailment. There is little doubt that the former fast bowler for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) would do well for his new team.
Akash Deep played alongside Indian cricket team members who suffered a 4-1 defeat during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. During the Test matches held in Brisbane and Melbourne this player chose the right-arm pacer role. The fast bowler sustained an injury before the Sydney Test match took place.
During a press conference held at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on the eve of the match between the Lucknow and Mumbai Indians (MI), Akash Deep discussed his thoughts on recovering from injury. The Bengal cricket player stated (as ESPNcricinfo cites):
“I feel the first match is very important for me. I have played one practice match, but in cricket when you get a two to three-month gap, no matter how much you practice, till you don’t play a match, the confidence does not build.”
Akash Deep
Last season, Akash Deep was a member of the RCB team. The fast bowler, who was released by Bengaluru, was acquired by LSG for an astounding ₹8 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. In response to a question about playing for a new team in the T20 competition, he stated:
"Akash Deep is in the house" 💙 pic.twitter.com/sjA7jFAYwQ
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 3, 2025“The jersey changes but the player remains the same and I am really enjoying my time with this franchise. I have not been with the team for long because of injury, but I feel quite confident.
Akash Deep
“As an individual, you should believe in your process and focus on that process. The easier you keep your game, the easier it gets to perform. For this type of tournament, staying confident becomes very important for a player.”
Akash Deep
Between 2022 and 2024, Akash Deep played eight IPL games for RCB, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 11.67 and an average of 45.57. During the IPL 2022 season, he recorded a best of 3-45 against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, and tailender Umesh Yadav were all taken out by the pacer.
“We have seen a lot of positives” – Akash Deep downplays LSG’s underwhelming start to IPL 2025
LSG’s IPL 2025 campaign has been uneventful thus far. In their three games, they have won one and lost two. They were crushed by eight wickets against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their most recent match in Lucknow. Additionally, the franchise has struggled with injuries. Mayank Yadav has not yet fully recovered from his injury, and Mohsin Khan has been ruled out.
Regarding LSG’s IPL 2025 performance, Akash Deep stated that the competition is still extremely early and that the team has shown some promise even in the first three games. He clarified:
“In cricket, the performance is not often in our control as a team. We have only played three matches and the IPL is a long tournament and in these three matches, we have seen a lot of positives. Despite four fast bowlers being injured, the way we performed in the first match, I thought it was great. The tournament is long and the best is yet to come.”
Akash Deep
Akash Deep has played in 42 Twenty20 matches and has taken 49 wickets at an economy rate of 7.71 and an average of 23.46, with a high of 4-35.
