With consistency on his side, Hooda strikes gold for Lucknow

At the 2022 IPL Auction, when Deepak Hooda’s name came on the screen, there was a real bidding war. Six franchises – Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad – all vetted against each other to capture the services of the 26-year-old all-rounder. 

By then, Hooda had already made his debut for the national team but never had once in the IPL, put up a stellar season. His numbers were quite skewed, either it was on the high end of the spectrum or on the lower end of the spectrum. In 2016, he averaged 10.28 with the bat, scoring 144 runs after getting an extended run of 17 games. Prior to 2020, Hooda averaged 14.6, struck at 127.2 and since 2020, he averages 27.1, striking at 137.7. 

After breaking through with the Rajasthan Royals, Hooda moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he could not find his feet before the move to Punjab Kings. While at Punjab, he got his chances, he never was the first name on the list, on the back of several factors. 

So, when Lucknow went all-out, at INR 5.75 crore, for the all-rounder, there was a big question mark over the decision. It was a double-edged sword, never before in an IPL season had Hooda scored more than one half century and equally never before had he performed consistently with the ball. 

It all started against the Titans

If the entire universe started with a Big Bang, Hooda’s transformation as a consistent player, started against the Titans.

In Lucknow’s very first game of the season and in the IPL, Hooda had to walk out to bat with the team struggling at 20/3, off just 21 balls. 21 balls, 20 runs, three wickets, a team that was hailed as one of the best teams after the two-day Mega Auction. Lucknow had to bounce back and so did Hooda. 

And that is exactly where numbers don’t equate to everything. Lucknow’s mentor, Gautam Gambhir, showed keen interest on the all-rounder, knew what exactly his role in the franchise would be. That was way more important than any numbers that were churned out on computer screens. 

When it came down to execution, Hooda nailed it on the head to perfection, one at a time. The first nail was on Gujarat, when he stitched up a partnership with the youngster, Ayush Badoni, a 41-ball 55, with six boundaries and two sixes.

Prior to this encounter, the 25-year-old was never known for his consistency but in Wankhede, he was inching there. He was aggressive, he found the boundaries, he cleared them too (twice) and in between all the aggression, he was decisive, he was basically, the cutting edge for the Super Giants. 

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While he wasn’t overly required in the clash against the Super Kings, he was back under pressure against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. At 27/3, all eyes were on Hooda, on whether he could put up a substantial total, whether he could repeat his heroics against Gujarat, yet again. Remember: never has he scored two half-centuries in a single season. 

Unlike last time, this time around, there was a seasoned campaigner, in the form of KL Rahul. While Rahul was going at his own pace, there was a requirement of a change of pace from Hooda, considering the situation of the game. The 26-year-old had to don multiple hats, he had to arrest a collapse alongside the skipper, he had to read the match situation and then play a cameo at the same time to take the Super Giants to a defendable total. 

“I've been playing with Hooda for last 3-4 seasons, he doesn't come out of the nets. Don't really need to do so much nets when you're batting so well, but he never comes out of the nets. He had to wait for his chance, he's using that, and now is becoming someone you can rely on, in the middle order," commended his skipper, Rahul.

As Rahul said, Hooda always had to wait for his chance, be it for an IPL franchise or for his country. But like most other players in the tournament, his game too is built on confidence. Representing India gave him that confidence, and now playing for a franchise, that had immense trust in his skills, at Lucknow, the best version of Hooda is awaiting. 

SRH’s skipper Kane Williamson, who is perhaps one of the best skippers out there, in the post-match presentation highlighted the partnership as a game-changer. And there was every bit of evidence to suggest that it just the start of a long journey for Hooda. 

Ironically, the Super Giants had beat the Sunrisers in the winning bid for the all-rounder, as he came out hurting them. 

"Self-confidence and self-belief are high. I treat every game as a new one," said Hooda.

With a sense of security and a clear purpose in his mind, this version of the Rajasthan all-rounder is only for the good of the country. He looked good on a surface that had several batters struggling and to walk back with a half-century, at a strike-rate of 154.54, having walked in at 27/3, is more than just good, it is commendable.