Who Is Mukesh Kumar, the New Entrant in Indian ODI Squad for SA Series?

With the T20 World Cup set to commence later this month, Team India named a 16-member second-string side for the three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting 6 October.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee made the announcement taking into account the unavailability of its regulars who will feature in the ICC event which will be held in Australia.

Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan will lead the side in the upcoming series that will offer game-time and international exposure for the those who failed to make the cut Down Under.  

A major highlight of the selection has been the inclusion of two new faces – Rajat Patidar and Mukesh Kumar, who received maiden national team call-ups following a stellar domestic season.  

While the former is a familiar name among Indian fans due to his role as a middle-order batter for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, the latter is quite unheard of.  

Mukesh is one of those rare cricketers who have made it to the Indian white-ball squad in recent times despite not having an IPL deal.

A consistent performer for Bengal in last couple of years, the 28-year-old raised eyebrows with his bowling displays for India ‘A’ and most recently for Rest of India in the ongoing Irani Cup.

Mukesh has unfortunately not received the recognition he warrants but the Indian team selection will now put a lid on that debate. Having said that, let's look at the latest new face that will don the blue jersey in the 50-over format.  

Humble Beginnings 

The son of a migrant taxi driver, Mukesh originally hails from Gopalganj district in Bihar but shifted to Kolkata in the early 2000s as his father wanted him to become a government employee. 

Presently working at the office of Comptroller and Auditor General, he eventually managed to fulfill his father’s wish.  

However, the journey like many other struggling cricketers from the country was an arduous one for Mukesh who lost his father to a brain stroke two years ago.

He made his foray into the sport, starting with tennis-ball cricket. In his early 20s he shifted his focus to the leather ball, featuring for various clubs in the State but it was the Cricket Association of Bengal’s (CAB) ambitious 'Vision 2020' project that changed the course of his life.

The budding cricketer garnered the attention of Bengal supporting staff member, Ranadeb Bose, who recommended the youngster to former Pakistan international Waqar Younis. Waqar was presiding over the trails at as a bowling consultant. 

Though the Pakistan great was not satisfied with Mukesh's bowling abilities, Ranadeb persuaded Waqar to include him in the Vision 2020 squad and it proved to be a masterstroke of a decision. 

Battling Health Concerns and Accommodation 

Coming from a humble background, Mukesh suffered from malnutrition and was pronounced anemic by the doctors when he joined the Bengal set up in 2014.  

The intensity of red-ball cricket was a lot to handle for the young cricketer and CAB quickly brought him under their wings, offering accommodation and attending to his health needs. It took the State association almost three years to nurture and shape him into a professional.   

Mukesh did not play a single game for the initial eight months and was later included in Bengal’s under-23 side, where he managed to impress, making a name for himself. 

His displays once again caught the eye of Ranadeb, who convinced the Bengal head coach at that time -- Sairaj Bahutule to include him in the senior team. Though Bahutule had his reservations, Mukesh was included in the 2015 season of the Ranji Trophy Bengal squad.  

Mukesh shared a glimpse of his potential as he grabbed four wickets in the first innings, including the prized wicket of Virender Sehwag in his debut first-class match against Haryana in Rohtak.  

Sehwag, a former Indian opener was the Haryana captain at the time and Mukesh’s first scalp -- a dream start for any budding cricketer hoping to make it big. Since then, there has been no looking back as Mukesh grew from strength to strength in the coming years.

Leader of the Pace Pack

With Mohammed Shami featuring for India and Ashok Dinda retiring from domestic cricket in 2019, Mukesh has grown into the leader of Bengal’s pace attack which includes young seamers Ishan Porel and Akash Deep.  

With 30 first-class matches and an impressive 109 wickets to his name, Mukesh is the most experienced pacer within the side and played a key role in their Ranji Trophy final campaign last season.  

Though Bengal lost the summit clash to Saurashtra it was their first-ever Ranji Trophy final since the 2006-07 season. He has taken 20-plus wickets in the past three Ranji seasons and has a career average of 22.50 in first-class cricket.  

The fast bowler was also Bengal’s joint leading wicket-taker last year alongside Shahbaz Nadeem, with 20 from nine innings.  

Consistency Rewarded 

His consistency in the domestic circuit did not go unnoticed as he was roped in for the India 'A' squad that recently emerged winners in the three-match unofficial Test series against New Zealand 'A'.  

Mukesh stood out on his India 'A' debut, taking a fifer in a game where he was handed his cap by bowling coach, Bahutule, under whom he had surprisingly made his Bengal debut as well.  

The pacer finished as the joint highest wicket-taker in the series with nine scalps, eventually, earning himself a Team India call-up in the series against Proteas at home.  

Meanwhile, Mukesh received the news of his selection via the Indian team’s official WhatsApp group while featuring for the Rest of India team in the ongoing Irani Cup against Saurashtra.

The medium-pacer picked four wickets with his accurate swing as the Saurashtra innings folded for just 98 runs on Day One.  

While Mukesh continues his exploits with the red bowl and gears up for the 50-over series against South Africa, only one question remains uresolved -- How will he fare internationally with the white ball? 

To date, Mukesh has played just 18 List A matches and has 17 wickets -- 30 fewer than his young teammate, Porel (30 List A games, 47 wickets). Though it is not a huge concern, it still is a question of debate.

As Mukesh once said back in 2020 after guiding his side to the Ranji Trophy final, “Those who have stories of struggle like me, I’d just like to say that believe in your hard work and leave the rest to God.”  

The seamer would be hopeful that his earlier statement will work in his favour when he finally fulfills his dream of donning the blue jersey.