NEW DELHI: “My sister has cancer, and I want to dedicate this win to her,” said an emotional Akash Deep after India’s resounding 336-run victory over England in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday.Despite battling personal crisis, which has been a story of his life, the Indian pacer kept his emotions under wraps — even from his U-19 coach and mentor, former Bengal cricketer Saurasish Lahiri, whom he treats like an elder brother. Akash prioritised national duty and delivered a spectacular performance to script one of India’s most memorable overseas wins. He had a Test match to remember, claiming 10/187 — the best figures by an Indian bowler in England.His sister, Akhand Jyoti Singh, was admitted to a hospital during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Roped in by the Lucknow Super Giants, Akash was recovering from a stress fracture at the start of the season. Amid his own injury struggles, he took the lead in getting his sister admitted, consulting doctors, and handling hospital formalities.
In fact, Akash Deep was at the hospital, filling out paperwork for his sister, when his phone rang — bringing news of his selection for the England tour.Even then, Akash chose to stay silent and didn’t celebrate. He stayed focused on what mattered most in that moment — being there for his sister.“I was watching the match and I was elated when India won. I started doing my other activities at home. As soon as Akash Deep came on the television screen with (Cheteshwar) Pujara [for the post-match interactions], I sat down and started listening to the conversation. I was really shocked. He didn’t tell this big thing to anyone — not even me. I am so close to him, but he didn’t share this. In fact, I called him after he claimed four wickets in the first innings. I was happy, but I said, ‘Panja (five wickets) kab karega?’ He said, ‘Sir, main pakka karke dikhaunga.’ (I asked him when he would take a five-wicket haul. He said he would definitely do it),” Lahiri told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“I called him after the match. I was a little unhappy with him — he used to share everything with me. Akash told me he was going through a family crisis during that phase of the IPL. In fact, he found out that he was in the India squad for the England tour while he was with his sister at the hospital, sitting by her bedside.“I also remember, a few months back, his brother-in-law — who lives in Pune — was suffering from a very serious nerve-related disease. Akash was instrumental in getting him the right treatment. He took him to Mumbai, spent hours in the hospital, night after night. He’s better now, thankfully. But his sister’s illness came as a complete shock to me. Luckily, God has been kind. She was diagnosed early and is being treated well. Hopefully, by God’s grace and all our blessings, she will recover fully. And of course, the way Akash is performing, that makes her even happier.“Akash Deep was so emotional on the call. He said he did everything he could to put things in place for his sister. At the time, he was packing his bags from Birmingham to London. He was very, very happy. But he is a very stable-headed guy — very humble, very down to earth,” Lahiri said referring to Lord’s being the team’s next destination.
Akash Deep celebrates after taking the wicket of Brydon Carse on Day 5 of the Second Test Match against England. (Getty Images)
For Akash Deep, life during that phase revolved around just two things — recovering from a stress fracture and taking care of his sister’s treatment.The India pacer had never heard of a stress fracture before. Confused and concerned, he immediately called his mentor, Saurasish Lahiri, and asked, “Dada, ye stress fracture kya hai?” [What is this stress fracture?]“I was working with the Centre of Excellence (CoE) when Akash came in for rehabilitation. I was also involved with the high-performance camps there. When he was doing his rehab, I was present. We never let a player leave until he is fully fit — that’s the standard we follow,” Lahiri said.“Initially, he didn’t even know what a stress fracture was. So, we assessed him, and the physio said it would take quite some time for it to heal and for him to recover. During that journey, I got a lot of help from many people who supported me in taking Akash to different venues where we were playing pre-season matches — even though he was rested and still recovering.
I was happy, but I said, ‘Panja (five wickets) kab karega?’ He said, ‘Sir, main pakka karke dikhaunga.’
Saurasish Lahiri
Mohammed Shami also spoke to him and guided him. Later, he met Zaheer Khan during the IPL, and the veteran helped him a lot,” Lahiri said.With Akash Deep gearing up for the third Test at Lord’s, the pacer will be expected to carry his lethal form forward and help India take a 2-1 lead in the series.“He has promised me he will keep trying to pick a ‘panja’ (five-wicket haul). He really wants to do well at Lord’s. He said, ‘Lord’s mein panje ka maza alag hoga [The joy of taking a five-for at Lord’s will be something else],’” Lahiri said.
