Mukesh

Kumar

Mukesh Kumar Biography and Career

A right-arm seamer who can move the ball both ways, Mukesh Kumar was born in Bihar's Gopalganj town. Mukesh first aimed to join the CRPF or Bihar Police and even passed the written exams in 2012. However, he couldn't meet the fitness requirements. This setback made him consider cricket as a career. Since opportunities in Bihar were limited, he moved to Kolkata to play the sport. His late father lived in the Bengal capital, where he worked as a taxi driver to make ends meet. 
In 2014, Mukesh Kumar was selected for the state trials under Sourav Ganguly’s Vision 2020 program, which had over 300 participants. 
“I would play these prize-money tournaments in Kolkata, Patna, even Delhi at times. Then came the Vision 2020 trials and it changed my life forever," he recalled in an interview. 
After impressing in the club cricket circuits, his big moment came in 2015 when he was selected in Bengal's Ranji Trophy squad. However, inconsistency in form along with persistent injuries meant Mukesh was not a regular in the Bengal team. It wasn't until the 2018-19 season when he became a key player for Bengal. His 6-61 in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Karnataka that year had experts talking about him. 
In June 2023, the bowler was named in India's squad for all three formats for the tour of West Indies. Mukesh made his debut in the second Test of the series at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain. He finished with figures of 2/48 from 18 overs in the first innings and 0/5 from 5 overs in the second. Subsequently, he made his ODI and T20I debut in the same series. 
In the Indian Premier League, Mukesh was acquired by the Delhi Capitals in the 2023 auction for Rs 5.50 crore. He was retained for the same amount in 2024. In his debut season, Mukesh picked up seven wickets in 10 games, before delivering even better performances the next season. In IPL 2024, he finished with 17 wickets from 10 games.
His disciplined line and length, combined with his ability to generate movement off the pitch, made him one of the standout bowlers that s season. Subsequently, at the auction for IPL 2025, the Capitals brought him back for Rs 8 crore using the Right To Match card. 

Beyond cricket 

As of 2025, Mukesh Kumar's net worth is estimated to be around Rs 16 crore. The majority of his earnings come from his participation in the IPL, where he has earned a total of 19 crore so far. In the 2023 IPL auction, he was signed by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 5.5 crore, retained for the same amount in 2024, and brought back for Rs 8 crore in the mega auction for 2025. 
Mukesh married Divya Singh from Chhapra on November 28, 2023, in a ceremony held in Gorakhpur. He comes from a large family and has five siblings, including one elder brother and four sisters. His father ran a taxi business in Kolkata, which influenced Mukesh's move to the city in 2012.
Mukesh is known for his hard work and humility. His perseverance can be seen in his incredible journey from a small village in Bihar to representing India in international cricket shows his perseverance and commitment to the sport. Off the field, Mukesh is known to be humble and grounded.

Mukesh Kumar Records 

Mukesh Kumar International records 

Second Indian to make international debut in three formats on same tour (2023): in 2023, Mukesh debuted in all three formats of the game on the tour of West Indies, becoming only the second player after T Natarajan to achieve this. 

Mukesh Kumar IPL records 

Most wickets for a team in one season (2024): He was the highest wicket-taker for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 with 17 wickets in 10 games.