Young pacer Mukesh Kumar made his debut in the Indian team in the ongoing Test series against West Indies. The 29-year-old bowler became the 308th player to represent India in the red ball format. He was included in the squad in place of Shardul Thakur who sustained a groin injury ahead of the series finale in the West Indies.
Post making his debut, Mukesh called his mother and was speechless while describing his emotions. Once he got his cap from veteran spinner R Ashwin, the young speedster took out some time in the evening and spoke to his mother, who always supported him after his father passed away in 2019.
“My mother told me to stay happy all the time. Keep moving forward. She said her blessings are always with me. For her, all that she wants me to do is keep improving and getting better,” an emotional Mukesh said in a video shared by BCCI.
“This moment is very important for me. I can’t explain how happy I am. I made the debut in the morning and in the evening, I am talking to my mother. I am not able to understand what to say,” he added.
“Today I got his cap (No 308) from Ashwin bhai. This is the most important day of my life,” he said.
Kashi Nath Singh, Mukesh’s father, always wanted his son to take up a government job and had always asked him to study. The Bengal-based pacer even gave government job exams earlier but his mother decoded his passion and love for the game.
Way before playing for India, Mukesh already made a mark in the domestic circuit. He made his debut for Bengal in 2015 against Haryana and took part in 39 first-class matches as of now. He scalped 149 wickets with an exceptional average of 21.55.
Mukesh was also part of an IPL as he played for the Delhi Capitals, picking 7 wickets in 10 matches he played.