Mukesh Kumar bowling for India A [Source: Twitter]
Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar, who has been impressive in domestic cricket, received his maiden Test call-up for India's tour of the West Indies, apart from being selected for the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) — the series kickoffs on July 12, with the first Test starting in Dominica.
Kumar rubbed shoulders with several international and national stars during his maiden outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Captails earlier this year, nabbing seven wickets from 10 matches.
Speaking ahead of the Windies tour, Kumar spoke to Times of India and revealed his conversation with former India and current Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni.
Dhoni, throughout the IPL 2023, gave out tips and talked to youngsters who were eager to learn things from the legend himself. The 29-year-old explained how Dhoni talks to his bowlers and what advice the bowler received from the five-time IPL-winning skipper.
Here's what Kumar said
"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 - 'What exactly do you tell your bowlers as a captain and wicketkeeper?'"
"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."
Kumar further expressed gratitude towards the DC franchise for showing faith and giving the pacer a chance to play, especially thanking Ishant Sharma.
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