At home, D Deepesh’s parents speak of a son who can’t eat a meal without watching the Japanese cartoon Shin-Chan. But hand him a cricket ball, and he can consistently bowl in excess of 140kmph. Earlier in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League, playing for Madurai Panthers where he has picked up 5 wickets in 6 games so far, the speed gun clocked him at 146kmph against Trichy Grand Cholas. Game after game, with a smooth action, he has been cranking up raw pace in the mid-140s and rushing batsmen with his bounce. In the middle, he doesn’t mind a fiery exchange with the batsmen either; send-offs are common too, and he has a trademark wicket celebration, pulling imaginary arrows from a quiver. Standing at 6 feet, the 18-year-old is a testament to fast bowling great Dennis Lillee’s old line: “Fast bowlers are not made. They are born.”
