Indian cricketer Deepak Hooda talked about his relationship with Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan and revealed how the duo taught him to remain calm when he felt restless during the initial phase of his career.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the squad for the ODI series against West Indies. The squad saw Rajasthan all-rounder Deepak Hooda receive a maiden call-up for the ODI team.
Hooda was part of the Indian squad for the Nidahas Trophy in 2018 but he could not get a chance to make his debut for the country. In 2021, he had to go through a tough phase, where he had a spat with Baroda skipper Krunal Pandya and after many incidents, he changed his team to Rajasthan.
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Deepak Hooda had to wait for almost 5 years to get another opportunity in the Indian side as on account of impressive IPL 2021 and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021-22, where he was the second-highest run-getter with 294 runs in 6 matches at an average of 73.50, he was named in the 18-member squad for ODIs against West Indies.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Deepak Hooda said that he often asked Irfan Pathan why isn’t getting chances in the Indian team, replying to which the former cricketer used to tell him that Apna time aayega (his time will come).
He revealed how he got close to Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan, who taught him to be calm and made him realise the power of calmness. He talked about how he used to be restless, which hampered his game.
“People wondered and doubts crept in pretty often, but Irfan bhai always told me one line, ‘Apna time aayega’. I slowly got close to Irfan bhai and Yusuf (Pathan) bhai. They taught me to be calm, they made me realise the power of calmness.
“As a youngster it was natural to be restless and I was no exception. It was hampering my game. At times, I tried too hard. Tried to overdo things that weren’t needed,” Deepak Hooda said.
Hooda recalled Irfan Pathan told him the importance of preparation and process and doing same thing again and again without expecting anything, which paid off for him.
“I remember Irfan bhai telling me the importance of preparation and process. Doing the same thing over and over again, without expecting anything from anyone. So, be it the gym sessions, training at the nets and following a strict diet; I always maintained a good work ethic. It paid off,” he said.
Hooda talked about his tough phase in Baroda last year, where he had a spat with Krunal Pandya. He recalled his new journey with Rajasthan, saying that his hard work paid off. He revealed that at times he used to get desperate to be picked in the team and it was a challenging time for him.
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“I saw the ups and downs and then everyone knows what happened in Baroda. I moved to another state last year. It was a new journey but Rajasthan welcomed me. All the hard work has paid off.
"I didn’t get an answer initially, why I was picked and why I was dropped. It was a challenging time. I wanted to know why I was not picked. I became desperate, desperate to be picked again and just wanted to be in the team,” he said.
Deepak Hooda further lauded Anil Kumble and Punjab Kings for giving him chances in IPL 2020 and 2021, where everyone saw that he still has something in him.
“I would also like to thank Anil bhai, because Punjab Kings gave me a chance in two IPL seasons, people there saw that I still have something in me. I always backed myself. I always believed… Try, try until your last breath,” he said.
Apart from Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan also received maiden call-ups to the Indian ODI side. The 50-overs series will be played from 6th to 11th February, with matches to be played in Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
(The Indian Express inputs)
