Interview
Getting a hundred on your Ranji debut against Baroda must have been a pretty special moment?
Well, it was. In fact I never realised it was such a big thing, getting a 100 on debut. I wasn't expecting it and it was one of my happiest moments.
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Did it come as a bit of a surprise when you were selected in the India probables?
Well, it was kind of a surprise but then I was expecting to play the Challengers before that but it didn't come by, so I was more focused for the next season. But yeah it was kind of a surprise.
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Who were your heroes when you were growing up?
When I was growing up it was basically Kapil Dev. It's always been that way. I've been pretty fortunate to play with really good players back in Calcutta like Ashok Malhotra and Utpal Chatterjee. Playing with a few domestic cricketers like Devang (Gandhi), Nikhil (Haldipur), Rohan (Gavaskar) has helped a lot. Saba's helped me a lot in my keeping, so I've been lucky that way.
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You spent most of your time in Delhi before moving to Bengal. Is there a story behind that?
Actually my parents are in Delhi but all my relatives are in Calcutta. So I used to come to Calcutta for vacation and during one of those vacations I joined the Under-19 camp in Bengal and was picked in the side. I started playing for Bengal from then on.
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Keeping wickets in our conditions is not easy. The wickets tend to get worn out and a lot of keepers wear helmets standing up. What's your style?
Well, keeping is a tough job but I guess the most important thing is concentration and to just keep to the basics. I haven't yet kept with a helmet on, so I wouldn't know what it feels like. Yeah, keeping is tough but someone has to do it.
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How did you make the transition from opening batsman to wicket keeper?
No. I've always been a wicket keeper batsman. It's just that during that period Saba bhai was in the team, so it was not possible to get in as a wicket keeper. But I was getting runs, so they made me play as a batsman.
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You've had a range of coaches so far. How did this camp help?
What it has done is help my confidence a hell of a lot. Definitely I'm a more confident player now and it has helped me in every possible way. Now I know what to do and what it takes. It has helped me through and through.
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These days we have a separate keeper for Tests and one-dayers. But as a youngsters you'd like to play in both forms?
Definitely, yeah. I guess wicket keeping is a very specialised job and now with the one-dayers, you have to bat as well and that's not only for the wicket keeper, it's also for the bowlers. But the transition from one-dayers to Tests shouldn't be a problem.
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How do you relax outside the game?
Well I never used to read books. I still don't do that. (I relax with) music, watching TV and friends. I like talking to people and I've got quite a few friends.
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A lot of people must have helped you on your way up. Can you talk about them?
Most importantly my family, they supported me like anything. They've helped me a lot in every possible way and yeah I'd like to thank everyone else like my coaches and all the people I've played with. I've been really fortunate to have very nice and helpful people all around me.
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Two months ago, very few people in the country had heard of Deep Dasgupta. Now the name's familiar. How does it feel?
Feels good but then I'm not happy with that. I just want to play for the country and make sure it's a household name.
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