New Delhi, June 25, 2026: Indian fast bowler Akash Deep recently stepped into a new innings of his life, tying the knot with his partner Akshita Raj in a beautiful, traditional ceremony in Varanasi. While social media has been flooded with stunning pictures and videos of the couple’s wedding rituals, one particular clip from the celebrations has completely taken the internet by storm.
During the festivities, a guest casually approached the 29-year-old pacer with a question that had been lingering in the minds of many cricket fans: Why were India’s biggest cricketing icons—Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and former captain MS Dhoni—absent from the guest list?
Instead of giving a standard, politically correct PR answer, Akash Deep cracked a wide smile and delivered a beautifully candid, grounded response in Hindi that instantly went viral.
The humorous remark immediately drew a roar of laughter from the guests standing around him. Akash’s witty logic struck a chord with fans online, who quickly pointed out the absolute logistical reality behind his statement. In a cricket-crazy country like India, the public arrival of just one of these megastars is enough to completely halt city traffic. Bringing Kohli, Rohit, and Dhoni together to a venue in Varanasi would have turned a private family wedding into an uncontrollable public spectacle, likely causing massive security challenges and crowd-control issues.
A Traditional Celebration Rooted in Simplicity
Despite his rising stature in international cricket, Akash Deep chose to keep his wedding deeply traditional and close to his roots. The pre-wedding celebrations initially kicked off with immense joy and local flavor in his native village of Baddi, located in Bihar’s Rohtas district. Family members, childhood friends, and local well-wishers gathered for traditional music and rituals before the entourage moved to the historic city of Varanasi for the main wedding ceremony.
The wedding was attended by close family, friends, and a few fellow cricketers, including Indian pacer Mukesh Kumar and popular Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh.
Akash’s mother, Laddooma Devi, expressed her immense joy and pride regarding her son’s choice to keep things grounded.
Navigating Career Milestones and Injury Roadblocks
The wedding brings a very welcome moment of joy for Akash Deep, who has endured a challenging few months on the professional front due to a severe physical setback.
The right-arm pacer has fast become one of India’s most promising red-ball bowling prospects. To date, he has represented India in 10 Test matches, claiming 28 wickets. His ability to hit the deck hard and move the ball at a sharp pace earned him massive acclaim during India’s tour of England last year, where he delivered a career-defining performance by picking up 12 wickets in the Birmingham Test match.
However, just as his international career was gaining serious momentum, injury struck. Akash Deep was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the IPL 2026 season with high expectations, but a severe lower-back stress injury forced him to sit out the entire tournament. The same injury unfortunately kept him out of national selection for India’s recent one-off Test match against Afghanistan.
His last appearance for the national side remains the final Test match against England at The Oval last year. Since then, his focus has completely shifted toward rigorous rehabilitation and regaining peak physical fitness.
Fans Applaud the Pacer’s Relatability
On social media, cricket enthusiasts have praised Akash Deep not just for his quick wit, but for his pragmatism. Many fans noted that a quiet, meaningful wedding surrounded by family in Varanasi was a refreshing departure from the ultra-luxurious, heavily guarded destination weddings typical of modern celebrities.
By prioritizing the peace of his family and the sanctity of the ritual over a star-studded media circus, the pacer managed to have the perfect traditional wedding—while still giving the internet a classic, lighthearted moment to smile about. As Akash Deep continues his recovery journey behind the scenes, Indian cricket fans are eagerly looking forward to seeing him back at full fitness, steaming in with the red ball very soon.