Akash Deep’s New Zealand Test Case Begins With Irani Cup 2026 Comeback

Akash Deep will return to competitive cricket after seven months. Image Credits: GettyAkash Deep will finally return to action in the Irani Cup 2026, starting tomorrow. He has been out of action for seven months with a stress fracture, with his last competitive outing coming in February.Since then, Akash has spent most of his time at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), working through his rehabilitation, rebuilding his fitness and ensuring no further setbacks. As a result, he missed the entire IPL 2026 season, along with crucial Test assignments against Afghanistan at home and Sri Lanka away from home.Akash Deep looks to regain match fitness in Irani Cup 2026Akash Deep will lead the pace attack for Rest of India in the Irani Cup 2026, with Mukesh Kumar and Mukesh Choudhary providing support. More importantly, the fixture gives him an ideal opportunity to regain match fitness after a lengthy layoff.Akash would have worked extensively on his rhythm and match simulations during his rehabilitation, but nothing quite replicates the intensity of a competitive game. That makes this comeback particularly important, especially after being out for seven months. Fast bowlers often need time to find their rhythm and workload in competitive cricket after a long injury layoff, and Akash has had multiple injury setbacks in recent years.India are preparing for the all-important New Zealand tour, where they will want their key players to be fully fit and available. Akash therefore needs to use the Irani Cup to prove his match fitness and put himself back in contention for selection.Also Read: Auqib Nabi Ignored As BCCI Tightens 5 Indian Pacers For FutureHe could not have asked for a better setting to make his comeback. The game will be played in familiar Indian conditions, where Akash has traditionally been at his most effective. More importantly, as a multi-day fixture, it will give him the closest possible simulation of a Test match, allowing him to test his body, rhythm and workload over an extended period.Akash’s importanceAkash Deep series-wise in TestsAkash Deep has had a relatively short Test career so far, but he has shown enough to suggest that he can be an effective option both at home and overseas. For India, he is among the better pace options available, particularly with the fitness concerns surrounding Jasprit Bumrah.India’s pace resources are relatively thin, with heavy reliance on a few established options. Most of the alternatives lack the experience and exposure needed to consistently operate in overseas conditions, something that has created problems on recent tours of Australia and England.Akash is a skiddy pacer who tends to operate around the top of a good length, often keeping it just short of a length and attacking the seam. That allows him to extract movement off Indian surfaces that can stay low while keeping the stumps in play throughout his spell.BCCI @BCCI What a sight for a fast bowler! Akash Deep rattles stumps twice, giving #TeamIndia a great start into the second innings. Watch the two wickets here 👇👇 #INDvBAN @IDFCFIRSTBank Sep 20, 2024, 11:45 AM While those attributes naturally make him well suited to home conditions, Akash has also shown glimpses of being effective overseas. Outside India, he has taken 18 wickets at 41.33 apiece in 10 innings, including a ten-wicket haul.However, those numbers do not tell the complete story. Akash often bowled better than his returns suggested on the Australia and England tours, particularly in Australia, where he was consistently able to trouble the batters without getting the rewards his bowling warranted.Across the matches he played against Australia, Akash generated a false-shot percentage of around 34.69%, almost identical to Jasprit Bumrah’s 34.80%, the highest among the Indian pacers in that sample. Yet while Bumrah took 18 wickets at 13.88 in those two matches, Akash managed only five at 54 apiece.Akash has already shown that he can trouble batters in unfamiliar conditions, even if he is still learning on the job. Those Australia and England tours came very early in his Test career, and injuries have since limited his opportunities to play more cricket overseas. He simply hasn’t had enough exposure yet to fully understand and adapt to those conditions.How Akash could be successful in New ZealandThe pitches in New Zealand have changed significantly in recent years. They are no longer the slow, flat surfaces they were often known for, with most venues now offering pace and consistent bounce. Fast bowlers remain in the game deep into Test matches, making them particularly important in these conditions.Akash Deep’s lengths should suit New Zealand, where he can get the ball to seam off the surface. His skiddy nature and ability to use the crease could be particularly useful. He can create an inward angle from wide of the crease before moving the ball away from right-handers, while the cross-wind at certain venues could make him even harder to pick.His relatively high release point could also make the ball seem quicker after pitching, particularly on surfaces with good bounce. It is easy to see why Shubman Gill and the team management are keen to have him on the New Zealand tour. His attributes have always made him an interesting option for conditions outside India.BCCI @BCCI WWW 🤝 Akash Deep! Follow the match ▶️ Feb 23, 2024, 10:50 AM If Akash makes the XI, India could pair him with Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball and look to make the most of the conditions. Akash can get some early swing by pitching a little fuller before relying on his seam movement, which is when he is at his best. Mohammed Siraj could then come in as first change, bringing his ability to bowl with pace and remain a threat even deep into an innings with the old ball.That makes the Irani Cup all the more important for Akash Deep. A good outing will give him some much-needed rhythm and confidence before a challenging tour. More importantly, he needs to get used to bowling long spells again after spending the last seven months in rehabilitation rather than competitive cricket.Also Read: Umesh Yadav Joins Punjab For Ranji Trophy 2026 After Leaving Vidarbha