From Haryana to Baroda to Rajasthan to Australia, Deepak Hooda makes his way to the big stage

From young to experienced, many are set to play their first T20 World Cup when action gets underway Down Under. Before the first ball is bowled, Firstpost.com brings to you FirstCup – a special series where we chart journeys of T20 World Cup debutants.

Sports biopics are certainly in flavour these days and India all-rounder Deepak Hooda, still early in his career, has already provided a mouth-watering script. This journey from ‘who-da?’ to ‘Hooda’ is a perfect blend of emotions, drama, ups and downs, and entertainment. And most importantly an inspiration to keep the fight alive even when the odds are not in your favour.

Early stage

Born in Rohtak, Hooda didn’t get much support to pursue cricket in his initial days but the 11-year-old kid had all the clarity about what he wanted to do in life and his father Jagbir Hooda, who was an Air Force employee and also a Kabaddi player, enrolled him at the Youth Friends Cricket Club in Delhi.

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He used to bowl spin in the beginning but his coach Ravinder Paul Sharma wanted him to concentrate more on batting and also focus on wicket-keeping. Trying his hand at nearly everything in early days allowed Hooda to become a fine all-rounder who can bat anywhere, chip in with few overs and is a gun fielder.

“I enjoyed bowling even in my early cricketing days, but when I started playing club cricket my coach made me a wicketkeeper-batsman. The first two years of my cricket career I played as a ‘keeper-batsman,” Hooda had told Punjab Kings’ (his former IPL team) official website.

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Keeping stint, however, didn’t last long as his “knees used to pain a lot” and he would eventually focus more on batting and bowling.

“I got to be in the playing eleven back then just because I agreed to become a wicketkeeper because the senior team did not have anyone for that position. But keeping in the nets all day was difficult for me as a youngster because my knees used to pain a lot,” he said.

“I began working on my batting because I didn’t want to play as a keeper anymore. Back then, my brother and I used to play together and we used to bowl to each other and help improve the other. I liked to be active on the cricket field, be it bowling, batting or fielding,” said Hooda.

From Haryana to Baroda

Hooda’s started making the right noises at a very young age. The right-hander was 14 and was playing for the Kendriya Vidyalaya U-17 team in the year 2009 where he showed glimpses of his talent at the School Games Federation India. In the same year, he got a call-up to train at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore that eventually helped him make a place for himself in Baroda’s U-17 and U-19 teams.

The all-round show at 2014 U19 World Cup

The U19 World Cup has acted as a springboard for many cricketers in the past and it was no different for Hooda. The Indian side, in the 2014 edition, didn’t lift the cup but Hooda made his presence felt by becoming India’s second-highest run-getter, scoring 235 from six games at an average of 78.33 and also bagged 11 wickets.

This was probably one of the reasons that forced Bharat Arun, India’s coach at the Under-19 World Cup, to call him an “exciting all-round package”.

“One thing he really practised was big hitting. He is a very good bowler as well in limited overs, and was one of the best fielders in the Under-19 World Cup. All combined, he was an exciting all-round package,” Arun told ESPNcricinfo.

🇮🇳💙#AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/6h3XdInClh

— Deepak Hooda (@HoodaOnFire) August 27, 2022

Cut to IPL

The 2015 edition of the IPL saw Deepak Hooda making his debut for Rajasthan Royals against Kings XI Punjab. The meme factory flooded timelines and asked ‘Deepak who-da?’

While his runs tally wasn’t an impressive one in the edition but the strike-rate with which Hooda played (158.94) gave an idea about his big hitting abilities that Bharat Arun had once talked about.

Hooda would later go on to represent three teams - the Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad - between 2015-2021. There was promise but his position - which was mostly lower down the order - didn’t really allow him to make substantial contributions with the bat in the few games he played during the tenure.

🏆🇮🇳💙 pic.twitter.com/d86oEh9aO4

— Deepak Hooda (@HoodaOnFire) August 22, 2022

Spat with Krunal Pandya & suspension

In January 2021, the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) suspended the all-rounder from participating in the domestic season after he walked out of the team ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The right-hander had allegedly left the team after a heated exchange with the side’s then skipper Krunal Pandya.

“The apex council decided that Hooda won’t be considered to represent the Baroda team for the current domestic season. The decision was taken after considering reports from team manager and coach about the incident as well as communication with Hooda," Satyajit Gaekwad, chairman, BCA press and publicity committee was quoted as saying by Times of India then.

Hooda had claimed that he was stopped by Krunal from practising and the left-handed all-rounder also misbehaved with him. “Today I was practising in nets and doing my preparation for tomorrow’s game with the permission of Head Coach Mr Prabhkar. Then Krunal came in nets started misbehaving with me. I told him that I’m doing my preparation with the permission of head coach. He told me that ‘I’m the captain, who is the head coach? I am the overall of Baroda team. Then he stopped my practice showing his Dadagiri,” Hooda had alleged in a letter to BCA.

Hooda parted ways with Baroda, moved to Rajasthan as a professional player and made immediate impact with both bat and ball. His outings in the domestic circuit helped him make his way into the Indian ODI squad and there has been no looking back since then.

“The last year was certainly a roller-coaster, but with the help of Irfan bhai (Irfan Pathan), Yusuf bhai (Yusuf Pathan) and all the members of my family, I could overcome the odds and again dream big. It is difficult to describe the feeling in words, but for sure, this is one of the most rewarding moments,” Hooda had told Sportstar after he was named in the Indian ODI squad.

How many cricket association will loose out on a player who is in the Indian team probables list? Deepak Hooda leaving baroda cricket is a huge loss. He could have easily given his services for another ten years as he is still young. As a Barodian It’s utterly disappointing!

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 15, 2021

The dream run in 2022

Then came the 2022 season. Deepak Hooda was drafted in the newly-introduced IPL team Lucknow Super Giants. Hooda stamped authority with the bat in the season and smashed 451 runs at a strike-rate of 136.67 in 15 matches. The right-hander notched up four fifties during the tournament. LSG didn’t lift the cup but Hooda did the job for his side and impressed the men who matter.

Thank you so much bhaiya!! https://t.co/ndUC5uUSv0

— Deepak Hooda (@HoodaOnFire) June 29, 2022

Not very long ago, Hooda was without a domestic team. The all-rounder is now an integral part of the Indian white ball set-up and would now hope to make the opportunity, if it comes his way, count at the upcoming World Cup in Australia.

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