EXCLUSIVE | Picked for the West Indies tour, meet Mukesh Kumar: A bird soaring high on winds of destiny

Mukesh Kumar is yet to make his India debut.

There are a few stories in Indian cricket that feel personal. Their rise to the very top, the fall & of course, the comeback, feels like one's own. Mukesh Kumar, who was on standby during the World Test Championship final and now finds himself in the Test, ODI & T20I squad for the West Indies tour, is one such name with one such story.

In an exclusive chat with KhelNow, Mukesh Kumar delved deep into how it all began, his experience in IPL, and in England with the Indian team during the WTC final.

Son of a taxi driver, Mukesh Kumar hasn't had it easy. He was called back to West Bengal and his father expected him to do a job. Destiny, as they say, had some other plans.

"Actually, I met with an accident at the very start of my playing days. I used to play a lot, even Tennis for that matter. So my father thought that if I just keep playing like this, my future won't really be great. So he called me back and asked me to stay with him and do whatever I wanted because my entire family was in West Bengal. I stayed in a village. Sometimes I went to Delhi, and sometimes to Baroda to play. My father thought that I'll just play for like 6-7 months, and after that, I'll work a job."

Mukesh Kumar was quick to take the names of his friends who supported him, and that showed that his feet his still grounded. "Deepak, Monu, Bablu & Kalu. They helped a lot by showing me the grounds that were around and so much more."

"I played for state camps and I performed well. I bowled 20-odd bowlers, but got injured. My name got featured in the list, but due to an injury, I couldn't feature in the team. But then I started rehab and got selected after I recovered."

Just for the unversed, Mukesh Kumar has played 39 First Class games and has scalped 149 wickets at an economy of 2.70 and an average of 21.55. Ishant Sharma recently named three fast bowlers that can perform well for India in the coming future, and Mukesh Kumar was one of them. “Not many people know Mukesh’s story, but I have not seen a man as simple as him. If you ask him to bowl a particular delivery, he will bowl only that," Ishant had said a while ago.

https://youtu.be/Zbn4los7A_c

Talking about the same remark, Mukesh Kumar was quick to return the praise and his words clearly showed his admiration towards the lanky Indian pacer and one of the best Test bowlers of India.

"See, Ishant Sharma isn't just a name. He is an absolute legend. To play 100 Tests for your country as a pacer is no easy feat. During my time with Delhi Capitals, I saw him in the nets and one thing that stood out most for me was how focused he was. He taught me a lot of stuff and in a lot of situations he backed me a lot and said that we are all here for you, and gave me the confidence to execute whatever I wanted to on the field. Before heading out to England, I had a conversation with and he told me not to pitch the ball up too much and you know, technical stuff like that. When I went there, Paras sir was there to help me out."

Talking about his experience in England during the WTC final, Mukesh Kumar was pretty candid and said that he loved the weather there and it was one of the best time of his life. "It was a surreal experience in England. The weather is amazing there, bowling there and so much more. I will remember it for the rest of my life. I talk a lot with Siraj and Axar Patel. Rest, we continue to practice and have fun together."

Mukesh Kumar was very clear about his goals and insisted that he isn't thinking too far ahead. "I don't think too far. I think about today and what I have to do. Everyone who plays for India wants to do that on a regular basis, and if I think too much about the results, it won't come off as intended, but if I think about the process, I will surely make progress. I just want to focus on the process, and the rest is up to god," Mukesh added.

"One thing I felt in the Indian team was the atmosphere. It was like a family, and I enjoyed it a lot," he concluded.

The caravan, for Mukesh, now moves to the West Indies, and it will be very interesting to see how he fares on that tour.