"What exactly do you tell your bowlers as a captain and wicketkeeper?" - Mukesh Kumar on his interaction with MS Dhoni during the IPL
Pacer Mukesh Kumar shed light on his interaction with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). The right-arm bowler played for the Delhi Capitals (DC) after he was roped in during the mini-auction.
Mukesh was involved with DC in the previous season as a net bowler and bagged a bid of ₹5.5 crore to play in the competition for the first time. He made 10 appearances in his maiden season, picking up seven wickets at an economy of 10. 52. His consistent performances on the domestic circuit and for India A have earned him a maiden red-ball call-up for the upcoming tour of the West Indies.
Revealing the question that he asked Dhoni during the IPL season, Kumar said in an interview with Times of India:
"I always wanted to meet Dhoni bhaiya and ask him a couple of things. This happened because of the IPL. I met him and the first thing I asked him - 'ek captain aur wicketkeeper hote hue aap apne bowlers ko kya batate ho' (What exactly do you tell your bowlers as a captain and wicketkeeper?)."
He continued:
"He put his hands around my shoulders and said, ‘I tell this to every bowler that till the time you won't try, you won't learn. He said you need to do exactly what you want to do. If you won't, you will not learn. He said to forget the outcome, and just go and try. He explained this thing really well to me."
Post-match interactions have turned out to be a regular feature at the end of CSK's matches in the IPL. A hoard of youngsters and even experienced campaigners seek MS Dhoni's advice in a bid to improve themselves both on and off the field.
"I am really thankful to Delhi Capitals for giving me the opportunity" - Mukesh Kumar
While Mukesh Kumar's red-ball credentials are well documented, his ability with the white ball was on show during the 2023 IPL.
His season mirrored that of DC's woes, but his death bowling skills became a talking point, especially after he defended a meager total in the final over against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Expressing his gratitude towards DC for awarding him an opportunity, Mukesh said:
"I am really thankful to Delhi Capitals for giving me the opportunity. IPL was a good learning experience. Ahead of the IPL, I spoke to Ranadeb bhaiya (Ranadeb Bose). He told me how to handle the pressure. Ishant (Sharma) bhaiya has helped me a lot."
Will Mukesh Kumar get a taste of international cricket for the first time during the upcoming series against the West Indies? Let us know what you think.