Rajasthan Royals' INR 6.5 Crore Signing Expresses Desire To Play Test Cricket For India

It has been a tough year or so for Tushar Deshpande. The Mumbai pacer underwent an ankle surgery that saw him miss the entire 2024-25 domestic season, but he returned to competitive cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where the Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured his services for INR 6.5 crore at the auction. 

In his first season for the Royals, Deshpande picked up nine wickets in 10 matches, conceding more than 10 an over

Fit and fine again, Deshpande hopes to make up for lost time, starting with the Duleep Trophy 2025, which he hopes is the beginning of a run that would eventually earn him his maiden Test cap. 

Before the Duleep Trophy, he played the Buchi Babu Trophy in Chennai, where he bowled 18 overs in scorching heat. "I have put in a lot of effort, actually," Deshpande said, according to ESPNCricinfo.

"It was a major ankle surgery, and that being my landing foot, it was necessary that I get operated at that moment of time because coming ahead are a lot of international tours as well. I'm aiming for that, and I'm feeling good now for the start of the season.

"The aspiration is always to play Test cricket for India, but I'm taking one match at a time, one day at a point, and just following a good process and keeping myself fit because I've lost considerable time off the game last year. So just keeping myself fit so I can again hit the hard yards for Mumbai."

Deshpande hopes to perform well in the Duleep Trophy for West Zone and hopes to remain in contention for the two unofficial Tests against Australia A in Lucknow.  "Absolutely, like I said, now I'm fit and fine," Deshpande said. 

"So any challenge which comes up, I'm ready for it. Playing in England also... I was ready for the challenge. Even if I would have been called for the Test squad, I was ready for it because I did well in the second game, which I played for India A.

"So everything revolves around my fitness. Last year, I wasn't fit, I had a surgery that's why I was away from the game. Now I'm fit and fine, so I always wanted to play the game and play for India."

The 30-year-old pacer may have played a couple of T20Is for India, but it is a Test cap that would mean a lot more to him. 100 wickets at 28.97 in first-class cricket are not bad, but the upcoming season could potentially prove to be make or break for him.