IND vs WI: "Felt Great" - Mukesh Kumar On Getting Virat Kohli's Hug After Maiden Test Wicket

The 29-year-old India National Cricket Team right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar has opened up on getting a hug from Virat Kohli, whom he used to watch on TV, after picking up his maiden wicket in international cricket.

The Bengal pacer dismissed the West Indies National Cricket Team batter Kirk McKenzie to pick up his maiden international wicket. He impressed many with his bowling on debut as he was quite accurate with lines and lengths.

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In the 52nd over, Mukesh Kumar dismissed McKenzie and he was pumped up after getting his maiden wicket. Virat Kohli was the first one to approach the bowler, give him a big hug and appreciate his bowling. Soon his other teammates joined as the pacer celebrated the wicket.

However, getting a hug from Virat Kohli, the player whom he looked up to over the years, was a surreal moment for the pacer.

“When I got the wicket, Virat bhaiya ran up and hugged me. I was in a different world. The man I have watched all these years on TV and looked up to is hugging you. It felt great,” Mukesh told Mohammed Siraj in an interaction for BCCI.TV.

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When I came to know that I will be playing, I was shocked – Mukesh Kumar

In the first innings of his debut Test, Mukesh Kumar finished with impressive figures of 18-6-48-2 on a flat pitch. He revealed that skipper Rohit Sharma had told the pacers to work hard to get wickets as the surface was quite flat.

“When you (Siraj) and JD (Unadkat) bhai were bowling, Rohit bhai said ‘it’s not a pitch where you can get wickets instantly. You need to work hard’. I had to set up the batter with consistent bowling,” said Mukesh.

Mukesh Kumar further said that even though he used to remain mentally prepared to play, he was completely “shocked and zoned out” when he actually came to know about featuring in Test cricket for India during the team meeting. Notably, he replaced Shardul Thakur in the playing XI for the second Test as the allrounder was unfit.

“When I came to know that I will be playing, I was shocked and actually completely zoned out. Whether I play or not, I am always prepared, so I went to attend the team meeting, keeping in mind that I need to follow my process. But there was some gut feel that I might play.

“So when it’s morning over here, its evening in India. So by evening, when I reached hotel, I spoke to my mom, that’s a special feeling that ‘Maa main desh ke liye khel raha hoon (Mom, I am playing for the country). All my relatives and all those who supported me from the start are happy,” he told Siraj.

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