Mukesh sparked a bidding war in the 2023 IPL auction, with Delhi Capitals keeping course for Mukesh to enter for $5.5 million.
Ukesh Kumar was resting in his Bangalore hotel room on Friday afternoon when his phone rang. It was one of his old friends, and before Mukesh started the conversation, his friend hurriedly said, “Arey yaar, kidhar ho? Jardi TV dech…”
A confused Mukesh turned on the TV and was surprised to see a bidding war over him at the Indian 1 Premier League (IPL) auction in Kochi. It took Mukesh some time to realize what was going on, but he overheard Hammermaster Hugh Edmees announce that he had been sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 5.5 crore.
“It feels good to be back at Delhi Capitals,” he said. I’ve been involved with the franchise since last season and know all the members, so it’s definitely a good thing,” an excited Mukesh told Sportster.
With a base price of Rs 20 lakh, I did not expect many franchises to be desperate for Bengali seafarers.However, Chennai Super Kings started bidding and the bid price jumped him to Rs 1 crore. Delhi Capitals followed. And while things quickly turned sour when the Punjab Kings entered the race, Delhi Capitals kept their course and made sure to bring Mukesh into the mix. Last season he was one of his side’s net bowlers in Delhi.
“I kept things simple from the beginning. Jo cheez hai mere lifemein, wo simple hi hain. I believe in hard work and if anyone in Bengali ask me about me, they will all talk about my hard work. I’ll tell you, and I want to keep things that way.
Mukesh, from Kakal Kund village in the Gopalganj district of Bihar, believes his late father Kashinath Singh wanted him to join the Indian army and the Bihar Cricket Association removed from the cricket governing board. At first, I felt that playing cricket was difficult. India’s (BCCI) was then added to the issue.
In 2012 he moved to Kolkata to help his father but soon he started playing cricket in the second highest local league. A few years later, in 2014, he appeared in the Bengal Cricket Association (CAB)’s ‘Vision 2020’ programme, where he was spotted by Ranadeb Bose. The try he was handled by VVS Laxman, Waqar Younis and Muttiah Muralitharan, with Mukesh impressing former fast bowler and now national junior selector Bose.
Only a year or so after the trial, he made the Bengal squad and his consistent performance over the years earned him a nomination for India A vs New Zealand A. And after taking five wickets, he was named a maid He received a call from India for his ODI series against South Africa earlier this year.
“If you want to achieve something, you work hard for it. It’s been a challenging road from the beginning, but it feels good when the hard work pays off,” he said.
After initially opposing him, Mukesh’s father slowly began to appreciate his efforts as a cricketer.Before his 2019/20 season, Mukesh lost his father. “My father always wanted me to play in the IPL so he would have been really happy today. Everyone wants to play in his IPL but playing in India is always a priority. is. Representing the country is a big thing and nothing makes me more proud than playing for my country,” he said.
Being at Delhi Capitals helps. “I’ve worked with the team and know everyone, which is a plus for me. It will help me a lot,” he said.
Yet another small town cricket rookie to the topic of Indian cricket – it’s been an incredible journey for Mukesh and as new challenges await, he looks like he’ll do his best without thinking too much about the price tag. increase.