NEW DELHI: India fast bowler Akash Deep recently began a new chapter in his personal life, marrying Akshita Raj in a traditional ceremony in Varanasi. The cricketer shared pictures and videos from the wedding on social media on Wednesday. One clip from the celebrations quickly caught the attention of fans because of Akash’s humorous response to a question about some of Indian cricket’s biggest stars.During the event, a guest asked him why former India captain MS Dhoni and star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were not invited to the wedding.Akash responded with a smile: “Shaadi ho paayega yahan Banaras mein?” (Will the wedding even take place here in Banaras?)His answer drew laughter from those present and suggested that the presence of such high-profile cricketers could have attracted huge crowds and made it difficult to conduct the ceremony smoothly.Wedding celebrations in Bihar and VaranasiAhead of the wedding, celebrations had already begun in Akash’s native village of Baddi in Bihar’s Rohtas district. Family members, friends and well-wishers gathered for traditional functions before the ceremony in Varanasi.The wedding marked a happy occasion for the pacer, who has spent the past few months recovering from injury.Akash Deep’s journey with IndiaAkash has represented India in 10 Test matches and taken 28 wickets. His best innings figures are 6 for 60, while his best match figures are 10 for 112.One of the standout moments of his career came during India’s tour of England last year, when he claimed 12 wickets in the Birmingham Test against England.Injury setbackThe right-arm pacer was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2026 but missed the entire season because of a lower-back stress injury.The injury also kept him out of India’s plans for the one-off Test against Afghanistan earlier this month.Akash last played for India during the England tour last year, with his most recent appearance coming in the fifth Test at The Oval. Since then, injuries have interrupted his progress and kept him away from international cricket.
