Watch – Mukesh Kumar’s emotional phone call with his mother after making his international debut
After India put up 438 on the board against West Indies in the second Test, debutant Mukesh Kumar provided India with a crucial breakthrough when the hosts were chugging along at 117/1, removing the well-set Kirk McKenzie. Donning the Indian jersey is a matter of tremendous fortune and when Mukesh Kumar was handed over the Indian cap by Ravichandran Ashwin, joy knew no bounds for the debutant.
BCCI posted a heartfelt video of Mukesh Kumar talking to his mother over the phone, breaking the news of him receiving his first Test cap. As the video showed, he said on the call, “Haan maa, pranam! (Hello mother). Your prayers have been answered. I have got the chance to finally represent my country," Mukesh told his mother. "Stay happy. Keep growing, my blessings are with you,” she said.
No Dream Too Small! 🫡
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 21, 2023
Mukesh Kumar's phone call to his mother after his Test debut is all heart ❤️#TeamIndia | #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/Sns4SDZmi2
Mukesh plies his trade for Bengal in the domestic circuit and got his first call-up after Shardul Thakur was out with a niggle. Mukesh said, “I got my India cap from Ravichandran Ashwin. It's the most important day of my life. I have achieved this after years of hard work.”
Talking about his mother, he said, “She loves me so much. It's an important day for us. I cannot express the feeling today. In the morning, I got my debut and now I am speaking to my mother. My hands are shaking. Very happy today.”
Mukesh did get his first call-up for the Indian cricket team last year in the ODI series against South Africa, while he was also selected for the T20I series against Sri Lanka, but he could not make the playing XI. It did take some time but it was hard to ignore him after his constant discipline in the domestic arcade, a spectacle that also was a direct result of him tirelessly bowling the right line and length.
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