‘Mera naam nahi hai list main...’ - How Waqar Younis selected Mukesh Kumar after watching just one ball in nets

India’s pace bowler Mukesh Kumar is celebrating his 31st birthday on Saturday. Just like any other player Kumar’s story to make it to the top flight has been very hard. During the Uttar Pradesh versus Bengal Ranji Trophy clash on Saturday, the inspiring story came to light. 

In 2014 there was a program being initiated which was called ‘Vision 2020’. The idea was to identify the best players that could play for Bengal. During the fast bowling trials, the former Pakistani skipper Waqar Younis spotted one youngster who used to come to the ground daily. The youngster in question was Mukesh Kumar who wasn’t given a chance to bowl. 

As the story goes, Waqar Younis asked why Mukesh wasn't bowling to which the young man replied “Mera naam list main nahi hai”. Sensing that the young man was hungry for a chance, Waqar Younis asked him to bowl. Happy having got the chance, Kumar dug into his kit bag and brought out his spikes which weren’t in the best of conditions. 

Mukesh Kumar’s bowling blows away Waqar Younis 

Joydeep Bhattacharya during his chat with CRICBUZZ a few years ago said “He is an amazing player and the back story is just as fascinating. He is from Gopalganj. His father wanted him to join the Central Reserve Police Force. He tried three times and didn't get in. But the best story was related to me by the director of CAB. Waqar Younis was set to come to Kolkata to have a look at players and there was a pre-trial held just to identify some of the players”

After impressing a legend like Waqar Younis, it was time for Mukesh to be drafted into the Bengal squad. It wasn’t easy as the youngster was really weak and the Bengal cricket authorities had to work hard on his fitness. Apart from working on the diet, the youngster was also given a place to stay. 

Joydeep Bhattacharya said to CRICBUZZ “Then he gets into the Bengal squad but has nowhere to stay. CAB puts him up in the Eden Gardens. Kamlesh Jain, who incidentally was the CAB physio and is now for the Indian team, said that he was so weak that he couldn't even lift 10 kgs. So they put him on a diet and a year later he bowls to put Bengal into the Ranji Trophy final”

Mukesh Kumar himself recounted how he had to beat the odds to get selected during a chat with SPORTSKEEDA. India’s pacer said “As I got to my run-up, Waqar Younis sir, Ranadeb sir and Joydeep sir were standing behind me. I was bowling after about a month and the leather ball is obviously heavier than a tennis ball”

India’s pacer then did something that made Waqar Younis jump up. The then 21-year-old bowled an inswing yorker with the old ball. This was the same kind of delivery that Younis used to bowl in his heyday. The batter according to Kumar fell to the ground and the former Pakistani pacer was impressed. Perhaps flashes of his dismissal of Brian Lara would come right in front of the former Pakistani skipper’s eyes. 

“But the first delivery that I bowled was on pace and was an inswinging Yorker with the old ball. The batter ended up falling on the ground and looking at that, Waqar sir gave a nod of affirmation. So they changed the red mark besides my name into a tick and that's where my journey began." Mukesh Kumar said to SPORTSKEEDA. 

Ranji Trophy debut came in 2015 when Bengal took on Haryana away in Rohtak. Young Mukesh picked 4/53 from 19 overs which also included a certain Virender Sehwag for 28. In the 2nd innings, Kumar bowled 14 overs and picked 1/46 as the game was drawn. Bengal had a new hero but with the likes of Ashoke Dinda and Veer Pratap Singh in the team, it was still early days for the pacer. 

After years of toil, the next step was finally achieved when Mukesh was picked for the India A where he managed to impress everyone. In 2023, Bengal’s ace pacer finally donned the national colours. During the tour of West Indies, Mukesh made his debut in all three formats of the game. 

Just like his early days in Bengal, there is a lot of competition for places in the national side. Mukesh Kumar though won't be deterred and he has made a great start to the domestic season to knock on the doors for a possible berth for the Australian tour in a few weeks.