Mukesh Kumar (Cricketer)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mukesh Kumar

• Mukesh Kumar is an Indian cricketer who is known for being selected as a part of the Indian cricket team for Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Sri Lanka in 2022.

• Kumar’s father wanted him to join the army, but he could not clear the exam even after three attempts. In 2012, his father then asked him to go to Bengal where he was working as a taxi driver and find a job to earn money to support his family. In an interview, his coach in his village said that he was passionate about cricket, but he wanted to join the Indian army.

• In 2008-2009, he gave a trial at ‘Pratibha ki Khoj‘ that was organised in the Gopalganj district of Bihar. He bowled and bagged 34 wickets in seven games. In 2010, he represented Bihar U-19 in the Associate & Affiliate Tournament hosted by the BCCI.

• According to his coach, Mukesh used to cycle 30 km every day to the academy to play cricket. He used to play tennis ball matches when he was in his village, but when he came to Kolkata, he was offered to join Bani Niketan, a second division CAB league club, to play tennis ball cricket. His father was against him playing cricket, but he went against his father and started playing local matches for Rs 400-500.

• After joining the club, in 2014, he was selected for the Cricket Association of Bengal’s Vision 2020 programme and put on a special diet. He shared a funny incident from the trial in the Vision 2020 programme and said that he missed his trial because he went to the washroom. When he came back, he saw a cross in front of his name on the list, but after requesting a lot, he got a chance to bowl. His bowling impress the association and he was selected. He was found to be malnourished in the medical tests because he didn’t have a proper diet as his family was not financially strong. He talked about this in an interview, and said,
  

  I was youngest of the six but we had severe financial problems. It was Rano, who spoke to then CAB secretary Sourav Ganguly, who arranged for my stay at Eden Gardens and my diet was taken care of.”

• He made his first-class debut on 30 October in the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy. In the 2021-2022 Ranji Trophy, he bagged 20 wickets in nine innings.

• In 2015, he played the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He made his Twenty20 debut on 6 January 2016 in the 2015–16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

• In 2019, when Bengal was playing a dream season, Mukesh was struggling because of his father’s health. He used to train in the morning and take his father to the hospital in the evening. His father died in 2019 when Mukesh was in the Bengal camp. His brother informed him about his father’s demise. In an interview, he talked about his father and said,
  

  My father had a brain haemorrhage in 2019. He never liked me playing cricket. He wanted me to join the army, I even gave the CRPF exam twice. Today I just wish my father was alive. He would have been thrilled.”

• In 2022, he was signed for Rs. 5.5 Crore by Delhi Capitals. His base price was Rs 20 Lakhs at the auction. In an interview, he said that he would use the money for his mother’s treatment. In the interview, he further added,
  

  I am from a humble background. This money will be a backup for my mother’s medical emergencies. She had a lung infection. For now, she is fine but if we ever need an immediate surgery, we will use the money.”

• In December 2022, he was selected for the Indian cricket team for Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Sri Lanka 2022.

• Mukesh regards Manoj Tiwary for giving him a cricket kit when he was selected for Bengal for the Buchi Babu tournament because he didn’t have any.

• In November 2023, a video from Mukesh’s pre-wedding ceremony went viral on the internet. The video showcased him dancing to the popular Bhojpuri song ‘Lollypop Lagelu.’ ^[2]Rediff