'I want to play 50 to 100 Tests, IPL experience will help': Siliguri Strikers captain Akash Deep excited to play Bengal Pro T20 League

India pacer Akash Deep, who is set to lead Siliguri Strikers in the Bengal Pro T20 League, believes the tournament will provide a significant platform for new cricketing talent in Bengal.

Scheduled to run from June 11 to June 28 in Kolkata, the Bengal Pro T20 League is the first franchise tournament organized by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The Bengal players have been calling for a tournament as such for a long time, and as it arrives, Akash Deep is excited to play in it and believes it will bring a holistic change.

"I have been very excited, since the time I heard that the Bengal Pro T20 League is going to happen. I'm also excited to play for Siliguri Strikers since Siliguri place is very from Kolkata and seeing their team play in Bengal Pro T20 League will definitely help cricket grow in Siliguri," Akash Deep, who has been picked as the marquee player for the Siliguri Strikers, said in a statement to the franchise.

"I have been playing in the IPL for the last two months and really looking forward to the League. Many new players will emerge during the Bengal Pro T20 League as a senior player it is our responsibility to make sure we play well and prepare ourselves for tough competition," he added.

The Bengal pacer played in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and made his Test debut for India earlier this year in February. And the 27-year-old cricketer is confident of replicating his recent upsurge in the tournament.

"My IPL 2024 experience will help in Bengal Pro T20 League. I'm relishing my style of play this year, first I was picked for India A in South Africa. Then I was playing in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal, then I got to know my India call-up. I'm not the player who will become happy by getting picked in Team India. I'm someone who wants to play at least 50 to 100 Test for India," Akash Deep concluded.

The Bengal pacer is expected to lead the Siliguri Strikers men's team, while Priyanka Bala will lead the women's team in the tournament.

Servotech Siliguri Strikers will be representing Siliguri and other catchment areas such as Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Kalimpong, the northern districts of West Bengal. The Bengal Pro T20 tournament is set to kickstart on June 11 at the iconic Eden Gardens as eight teams across the state will participate for the inaugural title.