(Image Source: Youtube/X)
[Saba Sports News] Renowned Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently praised fast bowler Mukesh Kumar, referring to him as ‘Junior Shami’ on his YouTube channel. Ashwin initially thought Mohammed Siraj would take on this role but changed his opinion after seeing Mukesh’s performance.
“I initially thought Mohammad Siraj would become the junior Shami, but I now feel it could be Mukesh Kumar. Shami is called ‘Lala’ and as a tribute to the actor Mohanlal who is called Lalettan, I call Shami Lalettan. Mukesh has a similar build, similar height, and outstanding wrist position – he has that great whip of the wrist and terrific backspin on the ball. He has a very nice straight and nice alignment,” Ashwin said.
He highlighted Mukesh’s similarities to Mohammed Shami, notably in build, height, and wrist position, and commended his ability to generate backspin with a strong wrist whip.
Ashwin also shared an anecdote about how Mukesh’s career trajectory changed dramatically after bowling just two deliveries in front of cricket legend Waqar Younis. This opportunity, which came about unexpectedly, led to Mukesh’s ascent in cricket.
“Imagine, you are going to bowl in front of Waqar Younis, and you were at the toilet. They had called out his name but he wasn’t there! He returned, waited for 30 minutes and told them that his name wasn’t called out. It was then that Waqar Younis, who was about to leave, told him to bowl a couple of balls. Those two deliveries changed his life and he is now bowling for India,” Ashwin added.
Mukesh Kumar, who made his international debut for India on July 20, 2023, has played 10 matches and taken nine wickets since then. He was also part of the five-match T20I series against Australia, where in the first game, he didn’t take any wickets but was economical, conceding only 29 runs. Ashwin’s recognition of Mukesh as the ‘Junior Shami’ underscores the promising talent and potential in the young pacer.