Akash Deep Praises Rohit Sharma’s Leadership: “Lucky to Start Under Him”

New Delhi: Amid the criticism of Rohit Sharma‘s captaincy following India’s 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, right-arm pacer Akash Deep has praised the opener’s leadership style, saying he hasn’t seen a captain like him until now.

Rohit faced significant criticism for his lackluster captaincy and poor batting performances during the Australia tour. After missing the series opener in Perth due to the birth of his second child, Rohit struggled with his batting, failing to score beyond 10 runs in five innings. He eventually opted to rest for the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, having accumulated only 31 runs in the series, leading to public scrutiny.

Akash spoke highly of Rohit’s leadership and coach Gautam Gambhir’s approach. He said, “I feel very lucky that I got the opportunity to start under Rohit (Sharma). The way he leads and keeps things simple, I haven’t seen a captain like him so far. Gambhir sir, the way he motivates and gives freedom – those things really help players mentally.”

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Akash, who made an impressive Test debut against England last year, played two Tests against Australia. He claimed three wickets in the Gabba Test and took two scalps in the Melbourne Test.

Reflecting on his first Australia tour, the 28-year-old pacer shared, “I learned a lot because before this, I had played Test cricket in Indian conditions where bowling wasn’t as crucial. In Australia, as a fast bowler, I learned a lot that will help my game both mentally and physically. Even when our bodies were tired in those conditions, our mindset was to push ourselves because the team needed a long spell from us.”

While acknowledging the learning experience, Akash expressed his desire for continuous improvement, admitting that he was not satisfied with his performance on his maiden Australia tour. “If I become satisfied, the chances of improvement will be less. I feel that there are still areas where I can improve, and I am actively trying to do so.”

He continued, “It was my first tour to Australia, so I didn’t have the experience of those conditions to know what else I could add to my bowling. I think I need to improve my skills further in reading the pitch and batsmen and understanding the conditions.”

Akash missed the final Test against Australia due to back issues, as head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed. However, Akash reassured fans that he was doing well and would resume training after a two-week rest. “I’m resting right now, there’s no injury. I’ve been playing Test cricket for a long time, so my body needs rest, and rest is all good. I’ve got two weeks of rest, and then I’ll start my training,” he concluded.