‘I just want to have a good time and enjoy myself’: Mukhesh Choudhary after his Player of the Match performance against Mumbai

The Chennai franchise in the Indian T20 League is known as a team that backs its younger player and tries to bring the best out of them. They have gifted India with some of the greatest assets of the present times. Mukesh Choudhary might well turn out to be one such discovery for Chennai this season.

After a not-so-impressive show with the ball in the first few appearances this season, fand thought that the player will lose his spot in the first eleven. However, the Chennai management decided to back him, and consequently, he was a part of the first eleven in the match against Mumbai. He repaid the faith the team has shown in him by picking up the two important wickets of Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma in the very first over. Later he picked up Dewald Brevis and got Mumbai reeling at 23 for three within the third over of the innings. He bowled three overs in the match conceding 19 runs and picking up three wickets. His spell earned him the Player of the Match award.

During the post-match presentation, Mukesh Choudhary went down his memory lane recalling the hardships during his initial playing days. “I never thought I’d play cricket. Was at boarding school in Pune, we had an hour’s sports period and I used to play all kinds of sports there. Tried playing cricket and seemed to be good at it,”- said Mukesh.

“Have to bowl well in the powerplay where I’m supposed to bowl three overs. There is no pressure actually, to play with such big players around you automatically takes all the pressure away. I just want to have a good time and enjoy myself”- the young pacer said while talking about his performance in the match.

Chennai was looking for a replacement for Deepak Chahar, who will no longer be taking part in the tournament owing to a back injury he sustained at the NCA. It seems that the men in yellow have at last found a potent opening option with the ball in Mukesh Choudhary.