Indian bowler Akash Deep marries Akshita Raj in Varanasi

Indian cricketer Akash Deep married Akshita Raj in a traditional ceremony at the Taj Ganges hotel in Varanasi on Wednesday, June 24. The event was a close-knit, family-first affair, with the fast bowler later sharing a humorous reason for the absence of some of the sport's biggest stars from the guest list.

The wedding was attended by family, friends, and a few notable guests including fellow pacer Mukesh Kumar and Bhojpuri actor-singer Pawan Singh. Pre-wedding ceremonies had been held earlier in the week in Akash Deep's native village of Baddi in Bihar's Rohtas district. The bride, Akshita Raj, is a software professional from Manikpur in Dehri.

A moment that captured widespread attention occurred when a guest asked Akash Deep why he had not invited cricketing icons Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni. In a video that quickly circulated online, the bowler responded with a light-hearted question of his own, asking if the guest believed the wedding could have been held peacefully in Varanasi if such high-profile figures had attended. The remark was widely interpreted as a witty acknowledgment of the massive security and crowd management challenges their presence would have posed.