Despite an expensive spell in the season-opening loss to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad, Dhoni encouraged him to persevere. "Mahi came to me and said, 'You haven't made any mistakes. You bowled all good balls. It was not your day today. In the next match repeat the same," he said. His ability to take wickets in challenging situations has been crucial. He mentioned another instance where Dhoni's advice had a significant impact on his approach. Dhoni advised him to stick to his strengths and believe in himself during a match simulation in the nets. "I was bowling good yorkers, but suddenly I bowled a bouncer and got hit for a 100-metre six. He asked me, 'Kyun daala bouncer?' (Why did you bowl the bouncer?) I told him I thought he was expecting the yorker. He told me, 'Don't play cricket in the mind. Yorker is a yorker and no one can hit you'," Deshpande noted. "He was telling me we keep trying to play ahead of the game instead of staying in the present. The other thing he told me is to focus on my fitness, which is important for fast bowlers," he told ESPNcricinfo. Deshpande made his national debut during the tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024, where he recorded figures of 1-30 and secured his spot for the subsequent match.