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A classical right-arm seamer capable of moving the ball both ways, Mukesh Kumar was born in the rural town of Gopalganj, Bihar. Cricket was not his initial career choice. His early ambition was to secure a job with the Central Reserve Police Force or the Bihar Police. Though he cleared the written examinations in 2012, falling short of the required fitness standards proved to be a turning point, pushing him towards pursuing cricket seriously. With limited opportunities in Bihar, Mukesh moved to Kolkata at his father’s insistence, driven by the hope of representing Bengal. Training under Birendra Singh at the Bani Niketan Sports Club, he began to make a name for himself in division league cricket. A significant breakthrough came in 2014 when he was shortlisted for state trials conducted under Sourav Ganguly’s Vision 2020 programme, selected from a pool of over 300 candidates. Despite fitness struggles at the time, support from the Cricket Association of Bengal and consistent club performances earned him a place in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad in 2015. Regular opportunities, however, were slow to arrive. Injuries and inconsistent form kept Mukesh on the fringes until the 2018–19 season, when he finally established himself as a first-choice bowler. His defining performance came in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Karnataka, where his second-innings figures of 6 for 61 dismantled a formidable batting line-up featuring KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Manish Pandey, propelling Bengal into the final. Mukesh’s steady domestic performances soon brought him into national contention. He was named in India’s ODI squad for the home series against South Africa in 2022 and later for the tour of Sri Lanka, though he did not make his international debut on either occasion. That year, however, his career took a dramatic turn at the IPL auction. Initially expecting to go unsold, Mukesh was snapped up by Delhi Capitals for INR 5.5 crore — the second-highest bid for an uncapped player in the auction. Known for his quiet demeanour and preference for rural life over city glamour, Mukesh continued to let his bowling do the talking. His international breakthrough came during India’s 2023 tour of the West Indies, where he was selected across all three formats. Mukesh made his Test debut at Port of Spain, claiming two wickets in the first innings, and went on to feature in the limited-overs matches as well, becoming only the second Indian after T. Natarajan to debut in all three formats on a single tour. Mukesh was subsequently picked for the Test series in South Africa and impressed in the Cape Town Test, taking four wickets in the match. While he may lack express pace, his hallmark lies in accuracy, discipline, and subtle movement — attributes that have made him a favourite among the selectors and a reliable option across formats.
