Any players are simply born to be awesome. However, certain individuals would put in more effort than others in order to be considered for admission. Deepak Hooda was a breakout player for India’s Under-19 team, and many believed he was destined to play for his country. Despite good results for Baroda and in the IPL, the 25-year-old has yet to be offered a shot.
Career
Domestic Career
Hooda, who was born in Rohtak, Haryana, has a game that can be played in any style. He has the explosive strength that makes him a threat in white ball cricket, and in the longer version of the game, he has displayed tremendous composure and the ability to reel in his violent instincts when needed.
He first rose to fame when he was a member of India’s Under-19 team in 2014, where he was one of their most reliable players. Early in his career, the middle-order batsman was able to turn his arm around and bowl some right-arm off-spin, which was an advantage. While not bowling much, he has shown that as a part-time bowler, he can pick up vital wickets.
He became only the second Baroda player after Snehal Parikh to score a century on first-class debut, having made his first-class debut as a teenager. He has played over 30 matches in the longest format since then, scoring over 2,000 runs at an average of over 50. In List-A cricket, he made his debut in 2014 and currently averages over 42 with a strike rate of nearly 100.
IPL career
Hooda’s first IPL experience came when he was purchased by Rajasthan Royals, the team with whom he made his IPL debut. Despite the fact that he only played 14 matches in the IPL 2015, he scored 151 runs at a strike rate of nearly 160. In 2015, he made the fastest half-century for Rajasthan Royals (22 balls). Sunrisers Hyderabad went all out to sign him ahead of the IPL 2016, owing to his impressive results in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and his promise as a big-hitting middle-order batsman.
The middle-order batsman, dubbed “Hurricane” for his ability to switch games on its head, had a starting price of just 10 lakhs. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, paid 42 times his base price for him. He has struggled to live up to SRH’s confidence in him in the three years since then.
He is yet to score 1000 runs in the IPL after playing 61 games and scoring 14.55 with a strike rate of 127.18. The fact that he is usually played at No. 6 or lower hasn’t helped his cause, and he hasn’t done anything to indicate that he should be elevated up the order. He was purchased by the Kings XI Punjab in the 2020 IPL auction ahead of the Indian Premier League. Hooda would be disappointed not to be on the fringes of the senior side, amid a stellar record in both first-class and List-A cricket. Strong domestic results and a breakthrough IPL success could be just what Hooda needs as he prepares to make his India debut.
Background
Hooda was born in Haryana, but he represented Baroda in first-class cricket. He shared the stage with Hardik Pandya in Baroda. Kevin Pietersen is someone he looks up to. His brother, Ashish, used to play cricket as well, but due to a shoulder injury, he had to retire from bowling. He earned the Lala Amarnath Award for his overall success in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2014-15.