Deepak Dhapola: 45 Wickets, Twin Hat-Tricks, and a Kohli Connection

Deepak Dhapola is a right arm medium pace bowler who plays for Uttarakhand in domestic cricket and Central Zone in India's inter zonal competitions. Known for his ability to swing the new ball and hit good, consistent lengths, he has been a central figure in Uttarakhand's bowling attack ever since the state was granted full BCCI recognition in 2018.

What makes Dhapola's story stand out is the sheer weight of wickets he has delivered for a team still building its domestic cricket identity. From a record breaking debut season to a pair of headline grabbing hat tricks years later, he has consistently been Uttarakhand's most dependable strike bowler.

Deepak Dhapola was born on 26 June 1990 in Bageshwar, a picturesque town in the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand, better known for its ancient temples and Himalayan scenery than for producing cricketers. Coming from a region with little organised cricketing infrastructure at the time, Dhapola had to work his way up through age group and club level cricket before Uttarakhand's admission into the BCCI's domestic structure in 2018 finally gave him a genuine first class platform.

Dhapola made his List A debut for Uttarakhand in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 20 September 2018, and immediately impressed, finishing as the team's leading wicket taker in that tournament with 11 dismissals in eight matches.

He followed this with his first class debut in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy on 1 November 2018, against Bihar in Dehradun, taking a five wicket haul in the very first innings of his career. Over the course of that debut season, Dhapola was simply unstoppable picking up a hat trick against Meghalaya in December 2018, and a standout spell of 7 wickets for 50 runs against Manipur that helped bowl the opposition out for just 137. He finished the tournament with an extraordinary 45 wickets in eight matches, making him the leading wicket taker for Uttarakhand as the side went 15 matches unbeaten across formats in its debut BCCI season.

Dhapola returned to the headlines in emphatic fashion during the 2024 Ranji Trophy season, taking hat tricks in two consecutive matches a rare feat in first class cricket. His first came in the second innings of Uttarakhand's fixture against Puducherry, where he claimed the wickets of Fabid Ahmed, Krishna Pandey, and Sagar Udeshi off successive deliveries, finishing with a six wicket haul in that innings.

In Uttarakhand's very next match, against Delhi in Mohali, Dhapola struck again, this time dismissing Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, and Kshitiz Sharma for three golden ducks in a row on Day 2 leaving Delhi reeling at 145 for 5 at stumps. Though both matches ultimately ended in defeat for Uttarakhand, Dhapola's twin hat tricks made him one of the most talked about bowlers of that Ranji season.

Dhapola's back-to-back hat tricks in 2024 also drew attention for a less obvious reason: his training background. According to reports, Dhapola has received coaching guidance from Rajkumar Sharma, the long time personal coach of India great Virat Kohli, and has been photographed alongside Kohli himself. Kohli reportedly praised the seamer's performances and encouraged him to keep working hard for good results a rare and meaningful endorsement for a bowler from one of Indian cricket's newest domestic teams.

Speaking about his own journey and hopes of one day playing in the IPL, Dhapola has credited his move to Uttarakhand for reviving his career after limited opportunities elsewhere, explaining that he switched states after struggling to break into representative sides, and has since built his game around consistency, self belief, and the support of his teammates and coaches.

Across formats since his 2018 debut, Dhapola has established himself as one of Uttarakhand's most productive bowlers, with his exploits concentrated heavily in the longer format.

Bowling style: Right arm medium pace. Batting style: Right hand bat, primarily used as a lower order contributor rather than a genuine all rounder.

Beyond his state duties, Dhapola has also represented Central Zone in India's inter zonal domestic competitions, such as the Duleep Trophy, which brings together the best players from Ranji Trophy teams grouped by geographic zone. Selection for zonal cricket is often viewed as a stepping stone toward wider national recognition, reflecting the growing respect Dhapola has earned as a genuine wicket taking threat beyond just Uttarakhand's own line up.

• 45 Wickets, Debut Season (2018-19): Finished as the leading wicket taker in his very first Ranji Trophy campaign.
• Back-to-Back Hat-Tricks (2024): A rare feat achieved across consecutive Ranji Trophy matches, against Puducherry and Delhi.
• Rajkumar Sharma Mentorship: Trained under Virat Kohli's personal coach, drawing praise from Kohli himself.
• Central Zone Selection: Represented Central Zone in India's inter zonal domestic tournaments.

From a modest hill town in Bageshwar to becoming one of the most feared new ball bowlers on Uttarakhand's domestic circuit, Deepak Dhapola's career reflects the broader story of Uttarakhand cricket itself a young state still building its legacy, one matchwinning spell at a time.

For his complete match-by-match figures, see his official profile on ESPNcricinfo. Read more about the Uttarakhand cricket team and other cricketers from Uttarakhand on our site.