A year ago, Deepak Hooda was “depressed, demoralised and under pressure”, quite unsure of his future after an alleged altercation with then teammate Krunal Pandya forced him to walk out of the Baroda team hotel on the eve of their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy opener.
A few days later, Hooda was banned by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) for the remainder of the 2020-21 season on grounds of indiscipline. He joined Rajasthan thereafter in July. That move not only helped him to move on, but also let him breathe a lot easier, Hooda says.
And six months later, Hooda’s exploits on the cricket field have been rewarded with a Team India call-up. Having clinched a berth in the ODI squad for the series versus the West Indies in Ahmedabad, beginning on February 6, Hooda is certainly pleased. But he is not over-excited.
“Obviously, I’m pleased to have got a chance in the Indian team. But I’m not looking too far ahead,” Hooda, who bats right-handed and can also bowl off-spin, told The Telegraph.
Neither does he view this India selection as some kind of a solace to the bitterness he experienced last year.
“I’ve scored plenty of runs for Baroda and had some excellent moments with them. Yes, what happened last year was unfortunate. But I don’t harbour any ill-feelings, be it against the BCA or Krunal. Just as I thank Rajasthan for having given me this opportunity, I’m equally thankful to Baroda for its contribution towards my growth.
“I don’t look back at that unpleasant past at all, thanks to the period I’ve gone through, starting from the IPL till today, which has really helped me to move on,” Hooda, with 2,908 runs in 46 first-class appearances so far, asserted.
His figures in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season, where he captained Rajasthan, don’t really look outstanding, with just one big innings in the form of a century (109) versus Karnataka. But in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Hooda was Rajasthan’s top run-getter (294) with an average of 73.50.
‘Priceless’ advice
A Punjab Kings player in the last two editions of the IPL, Hooda banks on the advice he got from Anil Kumble, the team’s head coach then.
“After all that I went through (with Baroda), Anil Sir told me, ‘Forget all that has happened in the past. Just look forward and strive to do your best. Just be yourself and play to your potential.’ For sure, those words from someone of his stature were simply priceless for me,” Hooda said.
In terms of his preparation for the Windies ODIs, Hooda has kept it simple. “Just looking to get the basics right and focusing equally on my bowling since I believe myself to be an all-rounder.”
He then quipped: “You’ll see how I bowl with the red ball during the Ranji Trophy.”
Rafa ‘inspiration’
Hooda isn’t really a die-hard Rafael Nadal fan, but reading the champion tennis player’s autobiography (Rafa: My Story) has been a source of inspiration and motivation for him. “I read this book during my free time,” he said.
