Whoever saw Deepak Hooda in the IPL from 2015 onwards knew that the guy had special talent.
However, gradually that went on the back burner and his runs also dried up. But he was still picked in the team on ability and because of being a utility player who could chip in with both bat and ball and the team management over the years realised that the player had an innate ability and could deliver a match winning performance on his day.
He wasn't able to do anything special in the IPL for the longest time before he finally turned the corner in IPL 2022, having worked on his game during the COVID-19.
He also had a brawl with Baroda captain Krunal Pandya in the meantime and had to switch states. However, that did not seem to affect his game as he continued to pile on the runs in domestic cricket.
He struck four half centuries in IPL 2022 with the best of 59 and is also knocking on Team India's door in recent times.
Hooda not only scored his runs quickly but also finished the game for his side, which are good signs for both Indian cricket and the youngster.
Hooda recently became only the 4th Indian batter to score a T20I century.