A Star In The Making? Zaheer Khan Makes This Prediction For Mukesh Kumar

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan was all praise for Mukesh Kumar, the Bengal pacer who made his debut for India in the second Test match against West Indies. Zaheer, in an interview with Jio Cinema, said that he was impressed with Mukesh Kumar's composed performance and also predicted a promising future for the pacer in the Test set-up. In his first match, Mukesh Kumar took the wickets of Kirk McKenzie and Alick Athanaze. Zaheer Khan said Mukesh Kumar looked good, and expected the pacer to be a part of the Indian Test set-up for a while.

Zaheer Khan said Mukesh Kumar had a good outing and added, “He was very composed and showed good temperament. And when you're looking at the bench strength of this Indian team, it's very solid. You can see say that Mukesh Kumar is going to be around in this set-up for a while.”

Zaheer Khan, however, also noted that Mukesh Kumar now needs to increase his pace in order to be more potent and successful at the highest level. He cited Mohammed Siraj as a good example and said Siraj showcased his potential with a five-wicket haul in the first innings at Port of Spain. “I still felt that he [Mukesh Kumar] needs to add a yard or two to his pace if he has to be really successful at this level. I can take a leaf out of Siraj’s book and how he has gone about doing his business,” Zaheer said.

Speaking about India’s bench strength, Zaheer Khan advised Mukesh Kumar to stay prepared for his opportunities since the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will return to the squad. “He has to be ready every time because he's in that position where he might not get a long run. Bumrah might come back and Shami might come back,” Zaheer observed.

The second Test of the series ended in a draw as rain washed off the entire final day. India started their new WTC campaign with a 1-0 win in the series after their dominant win in the first Test. After being impressive in the first-class circuit, Mukesh Kumar made his debut for India.