Tushar Deshpande, the determined right-arm pacer from Mumbai, is carving a path back into India’s Test setup after a long and frustrating injury layoff. Once sidelined with a serious ankle issue that required surgery, Deshpande has returned to competitive cricket with a mix of grit and fresh perspective, using the Duleep Trophy as his proving ground. His journey reflects the challenges fast bowlers face in staying fit and the resilience required to bounce back at the highest level.
The ankle injury struck at a crucial moment in Deshpande’s career. Having broken into India’s T20 setup in mid-2024 and showing promise in the IPL, the setback threatened to stall his rise. Instead of fading, he doubled down on rehabilitation, working extensively at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence to rebuild strength and manage workload. That period of recovery became a turning point, not just physically but also mentally, teaching him patience and discipline as he mapped out his comeback.
Deshpande’s return has been steady rather than flashy. In domestic red-ball cricket, he has gradually increased his bowling workloads, delivering long spells under testing conditions. He knows that endurance, consistency, and control matter more in the longer format than the rapid bursts of T20 cricket. His participation in the Duleep Trophy is not just about taking wickets but about proving that he can sustain pressure over four or five days—a quality India will need in its next crop of fast bowlers.
What has caught attention beyond his bowling, however, is his surprising batting ability. In a Ranji Trophy quarter-final, Deshpande stunned everyone by smashing a century while batting at No. 11. His 123-run effort not only rewrote records for a last man in but also showed the kind of fight and spirit that selectors value. For a bowler to contribute with the bat at the tail can often be the difference between a competitive total and a collapse, and that innings has added an extra dimension to his profile.
For India’s Test ambitions, Deshpande represents reliability and depth. He is not express pace in the mould of a tearaway quick, but his ability to swing the ball and maintain discipline makes him an asset on subcontinental pitches. If he can maintain fitness, he could serve as an ideal backup option in a pace attack dominated by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar. More importantly, his resilience shows younger bowlers that comebacks are possible with the right mindset.
Looking ahead, Deshpande knows selection won’t be automatic. The Duleep Trophy and the upcoming India A fixtures are his immediate focus, giving him a platform to prove both fitness and form. With the selectors keeping a keen eye on domestic performers, a strong showing could bring him back into serious reckoning for the Test side.
Ultimately, Tushar Deshpande’s story is not just about recovery from injury but about ambition, perseverance, and the refusal to give up on a dream. If his current trajectory holds, the sight of him in India’s whites again may be closer than many expect.
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