New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) Delhi Capitals (DC) fast bowler Mukesh Kumar said he is focused on contributing to the team’s success in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season rather than chasing personal targets. Mukesh made his IPL debut in 2023 after being picked up for Rs 5.5 crore.

He was retained for the 2024 season and finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker for DC with 17 scalps. His price rose to Rs 8 crore in 2025, as DC retained him via the RTM option. In IPL 2025, Mukesh claimed 12 wickets in 11 matches, the third-most for the franchise.

However, he struggled with the new ball, taking only three wickets in the Power-play despite bowling more than half his overs in that phase. He also endured a tough time in the death overs, conceding at 16.3 runs per over.

“All the main pacers are here. Nattu, me, and Lungi. So we will work together, and we will focus on what the team demands. As far as the target of wickets is concerned, there is no such target.

“My main focus is on my skills and on my variations. I want to contribute as much as I can to my team. This is my target, and I want to contribute as much as I can to my team and try to win as much as I can,” Mukesh told reporters on the sidelines of DC’s practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.

Capped in all three formats for India, Mukesh featured in only three matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 due to a hamstring injury and picked up one wicket at an economy of 12.1. But on gaining full fitness, he showed improvement in the Vijay Hazare Trophy by taking 10 wickets in six games at 5.8.

“Obviously, I am working on everything, along with the length ball, which is required in a T20. If it’s a yorker or a wide yorker, then it’s optional. For every bowler, if the dew is falling or if you are getting hit, then you have to put that thing to use. So I am working on everything.”

“When I had an injury, I started to focus more and practice purposefully. I am more focused on these things. As far as the World Cup, WTC, and Olympics are concerned, I don’t think about it that much. I think about what I have to do in today’s match.

“What variations can I bring in what I am practising? What do I have to bowl to the batters? I am more focused on these things. I have it in the back of my mind that I have to do well and come back to the (Indian) team in the future,” he added.

Mukesh also said he draws inspiration from senior Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj, describing him as an elder brother figure in his life and career. “I have been associated with him for a long time. We played matches together – T20, one-day, and Ranji Trophy. So I get to learn something from him. He has played for India for so many years and is still playing.

“As far as my bonding with him is concerned, he is like an elder brother to me. He keeps telling me something or the other. For example, if nothing is happening from one end, then I go and ask him what he is doing and what he is not doing. He helps me in this, and he is a very helpful person.”

He also spoke glowingly about Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi joining the DC team after being acquired for Rs 8.4 crore. “For a bowler who has done so well in the domestic circuit, it feels good to get money and all these things. It feels good that a bowler is struggling and coming from such a small place and making such a big name.

“It feels good for everyone that a bowler has come to play on this side. As far as the bowler is concerned, he is a very good bowler, and you can sense that he’s down to earth by talking to him. He works hard on his batting and bowling in practice sessions. Everything now depends on his mindset and preparations for the match, and for that, only he can speak.”

Mukesh signed off by praising the backing he’s got from DC captain Axar Patel. “First of all, he is a very good person, and we always talk positively. We stay together, and I get to talk to him about field placement and all these things. He says, ‘Play freely’, and ‘I am behind you’. If a captain says this, it is a great achievement for a player. If he is doing a new experiment, he will say yes and support that.”

–IANS

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