![Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar Appointed in special roles by Bihar government [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1784903591244_IndiaTestTeam(1).jpg?type=hq)
Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar Appointed in special roles by Bihar government [Source: AFP]
India’s pace bowling duo of Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar are the latest entrants in the list of cricketers receiving special honours from the state government after they were appointed to new roles in Bihar on July 24.
Akash Deep and Mukesh Yadav are among the most prominent names in Indian cricket from the state of Bihar, and this latest move from the government indicates their willingness to invest in sports in the coming years.
Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar to join Bihar police
On Thursday, July 24, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar were given their direct police appointments at the Energy Auditorium in Patna. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was the one who handed them the appointment letters at the event.
Bihar is a growing state in cricket, and these appointments as the newest DSPs of Bihar is a step towards recognising the bright sporting talents in the state and inspiring younger generations to take up the sport.
Apart from the pair, 180 other athletes received appointments into different government services during the event, and it is reported that 637 players will receive scholarships in the ongoing FY. This ensures that athletes can focus on honing their skills on the field and bring laurels to the country without worrying about financial instability.
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Indian cricketers in police and army
These two appointments in the Bihar police are not the first time that cricketers are honoured with special ranks in the police. Apart from Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar becoming DSPs, there are quite a few prominent names in Indian cricket who hold honorary posts in the police or government forces.
The following is the list of the most prominent names in the police:
1. Mohammed Siraj – DSP, Telangana Police
2. Deepti Sharma – DSP, Moradabad District, Uttar Pradesh Police
3. Harmanpreet Kaur – DSP, Punjab Police
4. Joginder Sharma – DSP, Punjab Police
5. Richa Ghosh – DSP, West Bengal Police
Indian cricketers in military forces:
1. MS Dhoni – Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Territorial Army
2. Kapil Dev – Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Army
3. Sachin Tendulkar – Group Captain, Indian Air Force
Notably, MS Dhoni even worked on the ground for the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, undertaking patrolling duties.
Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar eye India comebacks
The 29-year-old Akash Deep broke into the Indian Test team during England’s tour of India in 2014 and has since played 10 Tests and picked 28 wickets. He last played for India at the Oval during last year’s tour of England, where India tied the series 2-2.
However, he has been out of the team since the England tour due to team combination and injury woes, which also saw him missing the recent IPL.
On the other hand, Mukesh, 32, played 3 Tests for India from 2023 to 2024, picking up 7 wickets. He also played 6 ODIs and 17 T20Is, picking 5 and 20 wickets, respectively, but is unlikely to be a part of the scheme of things ahead of the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
Despite being born in Bihar, the duo play their domestic cricket for Bengal due to the better infrastructure during the early years of their careers. Now, with the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sakib Hussain catching headlines, Bihar looks to become a major domestic team.
