On a Friday afternoon, two months before he would leave for Australia as a net bowler for the T20 World Cup, Sportstar sat down with Mukesh Choudhary at the Chennai-based MRF Pace Foundation, one of the top nurseries of Indian fast bowling. He was in the midst of a training session that day, which was preceded by multimedia work for his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. Producing multimedia is big business, and the CSK team handling this had an air of nervousness. One of their newest charges, by contrast, seemed wholly relaxed.
He is an up-and-coming fast bowler, enjoying early tastes of success and visibility — Mukesh still remembers having “an unusual look and a nervous energy” — when he was taken for plenty (he went for 39 in 3.3) in his first match for CSK against the Lucknow Super Giants last IPL and walked away wondering what the future held for him.
"The first few games (in the 2022 IPL) did not go too well," says Mukesh, who nods as he tells his stories as if encouraging you to follow along. "There was no pressure from the team, but I was disappointed with myself because after having prepared for this moment — playing the IPL — I couldn't deliver from the get-go. I thought, "will I get another chance?" The pressure is immense in the IPL because sometimes even your good balls can go for runs." Then Mukesh says smilingly, "I was extra motivated in the game against Mumbai and treated it as my last match."
Mukesh impressed in his debut IPL season, especially with his wicket-taking ability in the PowerPlay. He picked up 16 wickets in 13 games. | Photo Credit: Sportzpics
At the D.Y. Patil Stadium, against the Mumbai Indians, the 25-year-old Maharashtra seamer bowled three overs in the PowerPlay, claiming figures of 3 for 19. Off the second ball of the match, Mukesh got Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma out with an in-swinger. Two balls later, Ishan Kishan remained on all fours as a yorker uprooted his off-stump. "Since I had already played domestic matches at D.Y. Patil, I knew what lengths to bowl on that wicket. My rhythm was good that day, and the spell paid off," Mukesh says.
"It was my second ball. I didn't want to bowl short - the idea was to pitch it up and swing. Rohit bhai has had issues against left-arm fast bowlers; that was discussed in team meetings, and a strategy was in place. But it is one thing to plan for a high-quality batter and another to execute that plan. Mahi [M.S. Dhoni] bhai walked up to me and whispered in my ear, "Keep things simple, don't overthink. Then if the batter goes after you, you will be without a plan." My job was simple: try to swing the new ball and bowl back-of-a-length with the old ball as fast as possible."
Mukesh impressed in his debut IPL season, especially with his wicket-taking ability in the PowerPlay. He picked up 16 wickets in 13 games and, in August, travelled to Cricket Australia's National Cricket Centre in Brisbane for training as part of the exchange programme with the MRF Pace Foundation.
As a public figure, Mukesh is a type we’ve seen plenty of times: the nice guy who could live next door. But there is also an under-recognised edge, which perhaps bespeaks the relish with which he offers his insecurities... like when he admits to being caught in a whirlwind of emotions after a bad outing in the last IPL... "Not after the match, it happened during games as well (laughs)," he says. "After being taken for plenty, sometimes self-doubt creeps in and you wonder whether a wicket would come at all, whether you belong at this level. That's when frank one-on-one conversations with players and the coaching staff helped. Ruturaj (Gaikwad) told me there's no escaping the ups and downs at this level. L Balaji (CSK bowling coach) and Eric Simons (CSK bowling consultant) have always supported me."
Mukesh says it's his "ambition" to play and succeed that helps him remain focused on the road ahead. He narrates another incident from the IPL when things looked like tottering towards a downward spiral before taking a turn for the best, all in a matter of just overs. "This was against the Sunrisers Hyderabad [in Pune]," he says in a contemplative tone. "I had dropped a simple catch off Mitchell Santner's bowling in the PowerPlay. That affected my confidence.
"Then I found out in between overs that I would bowl the last over of the PowerPlay. So, throughout the fifth over, all I could think of was - "I've got to pick a wicket and make up for that drop"!" he says, as a straight face gives way to a smile.
"And I ended up picking two back-to-back wickets. That was a huge relief you know."
Mukesh was born in the Bhilwara district in Rajasthan and completed his primary education at a residential school in Jaipur near his maternal grandparents’ home. As a 13-year-old, Mukesh left to study at the Sinhgad Institute in Pune. His father Gopal and mother Prembai had moved from Rajasthan to Darwha — small town in Maharashtra — in the 1980s.
Mukesh Choudhary signs autographs for kids at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. | Photo Credit: K. PICHUMANI
Mukesh's consistent performances for Deccan Gymkhana, Pune's oldest club, saw him make the cut for the Maharashtra Under-23 team and the senior Ranji side in 2017. He made his first-class debut in November of that year. But his parents didn't know until after he had played Ranji Trophy that their son was pursuing cricket seriously. "I had never told them," he says, laughing mischievously. "I used to send them small clippings from magazine and newspaper articles but that's all. They came to watch me play an IPL match this year. They were like "ye toh bahut achha hai, hum yahin rahenge aur sab match dekhenge" (this is nice, we'll just be here and watch all the games). I was like "Aisa nahi hota, aap ghar jao aur phir aana dusre game k liye" (That's not how it works. Please go home and come back for the next match)."
Mukesh says he owes his success to the time he spent training in Pune's 22 Yards Cricket Academy, co-founded by former Maharashtra captain and national selector Surendra Bhave. Under the supervision of Bhave and 22 Yards head coach Rajesh Mahurkar, Mukesh worked on his action, pace, and fitness. "When I went to Bhave sir, I had zero knowledge about bowling. He told me I had good action and developed my in-swing. He was like - "if you work hard for 2-3 years, you'll play the Ranji trophy."
Mukesh loves Pune and says the weather is the best thing about the city. "I love the Chennai weather as well - not saying it because I play for CSK! (laughs)," he is quick to add. "But yeah, Pune's where things started happening for me, career-wise. I've never been away from cricket so far; if I am not playing, I will be in the gym or the nets or watching videos of my previous matches."
Mukesh plays FIFA in his free time and follows Manchester City and Real Madrid closely. "I watched the All or Nothing: Manchester City (Amazon Prime Video) documentary in 2018 and started following City," he says.
Earlier in the day, as he was making his way into the MRF facility, a bunch of kids swooped in for autographs with notebooks and pens. Mukesh smiled and obliged every single one of them. Shortly after, a couple of chairs materialise. The kids are still hovering outside the small ground, encircled by a wire fence, and behind them, the sun is starting to sink. Sportstar asks Mukesh: "How does it feel to be famous, to be asked for autographs?"
Mukesh flashes his bright smile, then slips back into self-effacement. "When I started, I never dreamt of playing IPL. I would've been satisfied with just one Ranji game," he says. "I am just happy to be here."
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