দীপক হুডা

Deepak Hooda's amazing ability to clear the fence fetched him 4.2 crores in the 2016 IPL auction. The ground for such a hefty amount was laid in the previous year when the Rohtak lad impressed one and all with his prowess. The Baroda Ranji player was one of the premier names in the India Under 19 squad during 2014. His century on debut, which made him only the second Baroda player to do so, earned him a call from the Rajasthan Royals side in the 2015 IPL.

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the 2016 IPL and some part of that credit must go to the lanky hitter, who bowls off-break as well. It's that three-dimensional ability, batting anywhere in the order, a seriously good power-hitter and the ability to bowl useful off-breaks, helped Hooda break into the Indian national team. He was called for national duty in 2017 for the T20I home series against Sri Lanka, but had to wait until February 2022 to make his debut, during the home ODI series against West Indies.

Consistency though has been a major bane of Hooda's career as he struggled with the limited opportunities. He did make a T20I hundred against Ireland in June 2022, but runs came at a rather tepid pace. Hooda was part of the 2022 T20 squad for India for the World Cup, but his game time was limited. Post the World Cup where India suffered an embarrassing semi-final exit against England, Hooda’s chances in T20Is were curtailed as India opted for new faces. He suffered a massive slump in form as well, and had a horrid 2023 IPL season where he averaged 7.64 with the bat. Despite that, Deepak Hooda was retained for the 2024 season but couldn’t make the most of his chances.

He was let go by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the mega auctions, and was roped in by CSK for the 2025 IPL season. Chennai have had a reputation for revival player careers in the past, will Deepak Hooda prove to be another success story?