Indian cricket stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin has identified a promising fast bowler who, according to him, possesses all the qualities to be dubbed as the ‘Junior Shami.’ Ashwin, known for his insightful cricket analysis, has singled out a rising talent who he believes could follow in the footsteps of the seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami.
R Ashwin hails Mukesh Kumar
The off-spin maestro expressed his admiration for Mukesh Kumar’s skill set, temperament, and work ethic. Ashwin highlighted the importance of nurturing such talents and acknowledged the significance of having a pace battery with diverse skills, especially with the upcoming cricketing challenges.
The comparison of Mukesh to Shami, a seasoned campaigner in India’s fast-bowling arsenal, is a testament to the high regard in which the young pacer will be held.
“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,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
He added: “Mukesh has a similar build, similar height, and outstanding wrist position – he has that great whip of the wrist and terrific back-spin on the ball. He has a very nice straight and nice alignment.”
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Mukesh shines for Team India against the Aussies
Mukesh has been a standout performer for India in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, bowling perfect yorkers and slow one at the death. He was the pick of the bowlers in the series opener at Visakhapatnam, conceding just 29 runs in his quota of four overs during the high-scoring encounter. And in the second contest, he sent back the dangerous looking Marcus Stoinis with his slower delivery.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side successfully defended a mammoth 235-run total against Matthew Wade’s Australia to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.
