IPL 2022: I always believed that Mukesh is destined for bigger things: Coach Surendra Bhave

Eight
years
hence,
25-year-old
Choudhary
has
grabbed
opportunities
provided
by
Chennai
Super
Kings
with
seven
wickets
from
seven
games,
including
a
man-of-the-match
winning
3/19
against
Mumbai
Indians.

IPL
SPECIAL
PAGE

“When
I
saw
him
at
our
academy
in
the
first
week,
I
immediately
told
our
coach
Rajesh
Mahurkar
that
I
could
100
percent
visualise
a
first-class
player
in
him.
They
(academy
coaches)
still
can’t
believe
that
what
I
predicted
came
true,”
Bhave,
a
former
first-class
heavyweight
and
current
Punjab
Ranji
team
coach
told
PTI.

Bhave
recollected
the
time
when
young
Choudhary
came
to
him
after
not
being
satisfied
with
a
couple
of
academies.
“Mukesh
came
to
my
academy
after
after
having
visited
a
couple
of
academies
earlier.
I
believe
somebody
suggested
that
he
visit
our
academy
if
he
wants
systematic
coaching,”
Bhave,
who
has
scored
nearly
8000
first-class
runs
for
Maharashtra
and
West
Zone,
said.

But
since
his
academy
did
not
play
invitational
tournaments
which
is
a
norm
if
one
wants
to
make
a
case
for
Ranji
Trophy
selection.
What
worked
for
Choudhary
was
his
good
physique,
coupled
with
a
very
smooth
action.
It
wasn’t
long
before
Bhave
laid
the
first
platform
for
the
Rajasthan
boy
which
enabled
him
to
showcase
his
talent
in-front
of
Maharashtra
selectors.

“He
had
a
naturally
beautiful
action,
which
was
refined,
and
had
a
good
physique.
Then
he
trained
with
us
on
a
regular
basis.
When
I
felt
that
he
was
doing
well
and
he
needed
a
platform,
that
is
when
I
was
spoke
to
officials
of
the
Deccan
Gymkhana
club
and
told
them
that
I
had
a
rookie
left-arm
pacer
and
it
was
necessary
for
him
to
get
a
platform
and
that
is
when
Deccan
Gymkhana
took
him
up,”
Bhave
recalled.

Deccan
Gymkhana,
one
of
the
oldest
clubs
in
Pune,
had
produced
many
state
players
and
when
they
took
Choudhary
into
their
folds,
as
they
say
the
rest
is
history.
“It
is
Maharashtra
Cricket
Association’s
selection
criteria
that
squads
are
chosen
on
basis
of
performances
in
the
invitational
leagues.”

Bhave
is
happy
that
despite
having
a
couple
poor
games,
CSK
persisted
with
him
and
that
yielded
results
when
he
removed
Rohit
Sharma
and
ishan
Kishan
first
up
in
their
match
against
Mumbai
Indians.

“He
(Mukesh)
got
a
good
platform
in
terms
of
CSK.
He
didn’t
have
two
great
games
(but
still
CSK
backed
him).
He
is
in
right
hands
and
a
guy
like
MS
(Mahendra
Singh
Dhoni)
to
guide
him
from
behind
the
stumps,
it
is
like
a
stuff
of
dreams
(for
Mukesh),”
Bhave,
one
of
the
finest
domestic
coaches,
said.

Nikhil
Dixit,
his
coach
at
Deccan
Gymkhana,
insisted
that
the
rookie
pacer
was
taking
wickets
at
ease
in
the
invitational
tournaments
and
that
paved
the
way
for
him.

“Mukesh
was
taking
wickets
at
ease
during
the
invitational
matches.
His
consistent
performances
helped
him
to
break
into
the
U-23
side
and
then
into
the
Maharashtra
Ranji
team.
He
was
also
net
bowler
for
the
CSK,
which
also
helped
him
make
the
cut,”
said
Dixit.