6 min learnAug 25, 2026 09:35 AM IST
At dwelling, D Deepesh’s mother and father converse of a son who can’t eat a meal with out watching the Japanese cartoon Shin-Chan. However hand him a cricket ball, and he can constantly bowl in extra of 140kmph. Earlier within the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League, enjoying for Madurai Panthers the place he has picked up 5 wickets in 6 video games to date, the pace gun clocked him at 146kmph towards Trichy Grand Cholas. Sport after recreation, with a clean motion, he has been cranking up uncooked tempo within the mid-140s and dashing batsmen together with his bounce. Within the center, he doesn’t thoughts a fiery change with the batsmen both; send-offs are frequent too, and he has a trademark wicket celebration, pulling imaginary arrows from a quiver. Standing at 6 ft, the 18-year-old is a testomony to quick bowling nice Dennis Lillee’s outdated line: “Quick bowlers aren’t made. They’re born.”
Discovering the tempo
Rising up, till Beneath-16 stage, Deepesh was a batsman. By Beneath-19, he had developed into a quick bowler. “Motive elam onum ila na… quick ah pota oru vibe kedaikkum,” Deepesh tells The Indian Categorical: there’s no actual cause, when you bowl quick, there’s a vibe to it. “I really like watching Dale Steyn, I wasn’t impressed by anybody. I didn’t play cricket eager to get chosen to any staff. I’m enjoying as a result of I really like bowling quick. I don’t know the place it’ll take me,” he says.
On the Beneath-19 World Cup, he clocked 140kmph, however when he delivered the quickest ball on the TNPL, he had no concept it was coming. He admits he was undoubtedly bowling sooner than ever earlier than. “I didn’t particularly work to extend my pace to 145kph. I did a number of quantity and saved bowling after the World Cup. Performed the Chennai league and I really feel it’s a results of that. I nonetheless do the identical weights and fitness center work, however it’s the quantity of bowling which has elevated. I imagine my tempo has elevated to 145 due to bowling extra balls,” he says.
A father’s blueprint
Cricket runs in Deepesh’s blood. His father, V Devendran, performed for Tamil Nadu within the inaugural version of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With Deepesh displaying an curiosity in cricket, Devendran enrolled his son in swimming at age 10, to construct a powerful physique. “I used to be his first coach, so I don’t know if that’s the reason, he doesn’t divulge heart’s contents to me,” Devendran says. “Bowling quick is ok. He wants to know red-ball cricket is actual cricket. Bowling 4 overs a day shouldn’t be sufficient. I’m getting ready him to bowl lengthy. When he’s right here at dwelling, I make him bowl 25 overs a day. Batsman ah slip la thooka na thaan Sir dhool,” he provides: it’s essential get batsmen dismissed within the slip cordon.
The entire package deal
AC Pratheepan, Madurai’s bowling coach, has skilled first-hand what Deepesh supplies to his staff. For Pratheepan, Deepesh is a healthful package deal. “He’s a personality. Many individuals have stated earlier than that quick bowlers are scary characters, and he’s a correct character. Each captain will like to have a quick bowler like him of their staff. He’s all the time prepared for the battle, he is not going to shrink back. He’ll go onerous and look to bowl fast. It isn’t like ‘I’ll management and if I hit size, it’s sufficient.’ He desires management in addition to pace,” he says.
Rising up, till Beneath-16 stage, Deepesh was a batsman. By Beneath-19, he had developed into a quick bowler. (TNPL)
What has additionally caught Pratheepan’s consideration is Deepesh’s indifference to the numbers. “He’s not an individual who appears at his numbers. After every recreation, he’ll ask, ‘how did I bowl?’ He asks for that suggestions, doesn’t matter if he acquired wickets or not. At this stage, most are after numbers as a result of that’s what will take you to the subsequent stage. With him, he’s completely different. Since he has tempo, now it’s all about getting management,” Pratheepan provides.
Past uncooked tempo
Deepesh isn’t about tempo alone. On the Beneath-19 World Cup, he confirmed a slower-ball bouncer that’s onerous to select, and has since gone about including variations, together with the off-cutter and the dipping yorker. These variations are a by-product of working with Tamil Nadu pacer Sandeep Warrier, with whom he performs for Jolly Rovers within the Chennai league. “To be sincere, Deepesh has it in him. It’s all about sharing the expertise and serving to him develop. At 18-19, when you can be taught as a lot as you may, when he hits the height in a few years, he could be a full quick bowler. So I simply share my experiences and information him about load, and de-loading, and tips on how to handle the physique,” Warrier says.
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Early in his personal profession, Warrier was identified for clocking over 140kmph, and although he went on to turn out to be a dependable red-ball bowler, he struggled for consistency in white-ball cricket. It’s one thing he desires Deepesh to keep away from. “With Deepesh, he bowls so much, which isn’t frequent nowadays. From Beneath-19, he has to take the subsequent step. If he can be taught at 18, it’ll assist him so much. With the purple ball, you will discover the rhythm when you get the management. However to be an all-format pacer, it’s essential add variations. I had no one to assist me on the subject of white-ball cricket, so I’m simply sharing my data, in order that when he breaks the large doorways quickly and performs the Ranji Trophy, IPL and for India, he’s prepared. Deepesh isn’t obsessed about pace. He desires to bowl quick, however be an entire pacer,” Warrier provides.
