Deepak Hooda hit six maximums in his blistering half-century.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
Deepak Hooda struck an blistering unbeaten 76 (36b, 6×4, 6×6), breaking Tamil Nadu’s spirit, in Rajasthan’s six-wicket win in the opening round of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here on Wednesday.
Speaking after the win, he said: “To be honest, we had only two days (for preparation) after the Ranji Trophy. So, I was just trying to stick to the basics – I believe T20 is all about being proactive and backing your instincts. I was doing that from ball one.”
Hooda seemed to particularly target the ‘V’ down the ground. A striking aspect of his innings was his charging and stretching forward, attempting to get to the pitch of the ball. “If you look at the ground dimensions (Narendra Modi Stadium B-ground), the straight boundary is shorter. If you go close to the ball, you would get the chance to hit it straight. So, that’s what I was thinking,” he said.
Asked if he had any goal he wants to achieve this T20 season, the 30-year-old said: “I want to play for India, and I have to score runs for that. That’s what I want to do. However many runs I can score, I will score.”
Published – November 26, 2025 09:44 pm IST
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