Akashdeep will miss another series after IPL 2026, may return in September, has been continuously out of action since the England tour.

New Delhi. If any team gets derailed before the season starts, then the road to comeback becomes more difficult. Something similar happened with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2026 where injuries spoiled their plans right from the start and now another shock has been added to this story. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) suffered a major setback even before the start of IPL 2026, which shook their entire campaign. Mathisha Pathirana was a late entry into the team, while Indian fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Akash Deep were out of the entire season due to injury.
The situation regarding Akash Deep was a bit unclear. He was ruled out of IPL 2026 due to lower-back stress injury. Now a new update has come out regarding this fast bowler. Akash Deep, who was recently a part of India’s Test team, will remain away from cricket for the next three to four months. According to a report, this Bengal fast bowler is eyeing a comeback in Duleep Trophy 2026. This means that he will not be available for the one-off Test against Afghanistan on June 6, where the BCCI is considering fielding a second-string squad until then Akash Deep will not be fully fit.

Long recovery journey for Akash Deep

Injuries are not a new thing for fast bowlers, and Akash Deep is also no exception to this. His bowling style, where he generates pace from the run-up and bends his back during delivery, puts him at risk of back injuries. This is the reason why this talented bowler has been continuously suffering from back problems for some time. Last year also, when he was a part of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), this problem came to the fore. Despite this, he performed well in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but was ruled out due to back stiffness before the Sydney Test.

Great performance in England and domestic cricket

On the England tour, he was India’s third fast bowler after Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. He played three out of five Tests and took 13 wickets. His performance in the Edgbaston Test was special but then he had to miss the Manchester Test due to groin strain. Ahead of IPL 2026, he suffered a lower-back stress injury while playing for Bengal during the Ranji Trophy 2025/26. This injury suffered during the semi-finals affected his entire domestic season. He took 22 wickets in Ranji Trophy and also tried to play in IPL, but could not regain fitness.

Will return in September

Recently, Akash Deep has enrolled in BCCI’s Center of Excellence for rehab. The estimated time of his return is said to be September, when the Indian domestic season will start with the Duleep Trophy. Akash Deep wants to make a comeback through this tournament. Akash Deep has played 10 test matches for India so far, but he has not yet made his debut in ODI or T20 format. In such a situation, he will not regret much about missing the white-ball series to be held after IPL 2026, however, he will not be available in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in August. It is clear that this comeback will not be easy for Akash Deep but if he returns fully fit, then the Indian fast bowling attack can once again get strength.