Mukesh Kumar was not the big name before being included in the national squad for South Africa series at home back in October 2022. He was inching close to debut before making his IPL Debut, which is considered as a “guaranteed round of selection” for india call up .
He came from an impressive Irani cup backed by some solid length & lines that eventually helped him to earn his spot. Later that year Mukesh Kumar was owned by Delhi capitals for forthcoming IPL with an whopping price of 5.5 crore
in love with cricket’
In 2012, Mukesh’s father wanted him to “take up a job and help the family”. But the son was in love with the game. “I loved playing cricket. I loved to work hard. I didn’t even know what an inswing or an outswing is. All I knew was to bowl fast. That’s how I played in the second division, picked six wickets in the first match,” he recalls.
He was elevated to the first division of the CAB League but was far from focused. For most of the next two years, he was bitten by tennis-ball cricket – a lucrative proposition – and the T20 frenzy. “I would play these prize-money tournaments in Kolkata, Patna, even Delhi at times. Then came the Vision 2020 trials and it changed my life forever.”
The Cricket Association of Bengal launched a talent hunt cum grooming programme, with V.V.S. Laxman, Waqar Younis and Muttiah Muralitharan at the helm. Bose sensed his talent and convinced Waqar to include him.
The next season, he made his Bengal debut, having overcome malnutrition issues and learning the art of cricket. “I am indebted to Rano sir and Joy sir. They taught me to be disciplined and patient,” he says.
He also acknowledges “Lal sir” – former India opener and Bengal head coach Arun Lal – for believing in him and giving him every match of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, which proved to be a game-changer. Until then, he had not got a consistent run in the state side.
From the kind of background he has had, any bowler would be overwhelmed with being included in a State team. Mukesh’s case was no different. In fact, he remembers continuously laughing at it, sitting in a corner in the Bengal dressing room.He always believed in his faith and visualised his old days back in village to the journey he made up to the Bengal Dressing room.
Though he’s young prodigy in the game of cricket as far as the stage his concerned, But he can eventually raise to the occasion after spending time in Delhi Capitals camp learning for coaches & Veteran. He can be very useful in indian condition with his swing bowling and eventually made it up to the higher stage
