Akash Deep, the latest addition to India's ever-growing pace battery, on Wednesday credited skipper Rohit Sharma for his seamless transition from domestic to international cricket and said the exceptional work ethics of the legends in the team inspire him to push himself even harder.
The 27-year-old made his Test debut against England in Ranchi early this year and made an impression with a three-wicket haul. "When I came here, I witnessed a different level of dedication and hard work from the players who are legends of the game, and considered the gods of cricket like Rohit, Virat bhai," Akash said ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh. "I realised that they have achieved so much and are still working so hard during training.
Their thought process is at a different level, this motivates me to work even harder." Akash has gone through a lot in his personal life.
Probably those tough days when he lost his father and brother in the space of two months made him mentally resilient, a key trait for handling the pressures of international cricket.