Indian cricketer Akash Deep’s journey over the past few months has been nothing short of remarkable. At 28, the Bengal pacer broke into the national spotlight with a sensational Test series against England, claiming 13 wickets in three matches and delivering the career-best ten-wicket haul in the Edgbaston Test that helped India clinch a famous win. His rise from domestic cricket to international success has been a story of persistence and grit but now his latest headline has nothing to do with cricket.
Just days after returning from the England tour and proudly announcing the purchase of his dream car, a sleek black Toyota Fortuner, Akash Deep finds himself caught in a legal tangle. The Uttar Pradesh Transport Department has issued him a notice for driving the vehicle without the mandatory High Security Registration Plate (HSRP).
The joy of his purchase was evident when he shared photos on Instagram, posing with his family alongside the SUV and captioning them with the words, “Dream delivered. Keys received. With the ones who matter most.” However, authorities allege that the vehicle was spotted without the specialised registration plate which is designed by the Government of India to prevent theft and counterfeiting. HSRPs come with laser-etched codes, a chromium-based hologram, tamper-proof screws and enhanced durability to make duplication nearly impossible.
Here is the post made by Akash Deep:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNGWc2fSl4Y
The trouble does not rest solely on the cricketer’s shoulders. The dealership that sold him the car, M/S Sunny Motors in Lucknow, has also been penalised for failing to complete the registration process and deliver the vehicle with the plate installed. The dealer’s licence has been suspended for one month and they have been given 14 days to provide a formal explanation.
Akash Deep’s new Toyota Fortuner is reportedly a top-end model priced at over ₹62 lakh. While the episode is an off-field hiccup, it comes on the heels of the most successful phase of his career, a reminder that even for cricket’s rising stars, not all battles are fought on the pitch.
