Mukesh Choudhary Claims First Five-Wicket Haul in Irani Cup Match

Fast bowler Mukesh Choudhary took four wickets on Friday to record his first-ever five-wicket haul in First-Class cricket during the Irani Cup match in Srinagar. Playing against Jammu and Kashmir, Mukesh finished with figures of 5/78 as the hosts secured a 41-run lead by posting 278 runs in response to Rest of India's 237.

Match Turning Points

Mukesh dismissed batter Shubham Khajuria with an incoming delivery that hit the stumps, and later removed Qamran Iqbal and captain Paras Dogra with bouncers, while Kanhaiya Wadhawan edged an outswinger to first slip. Despite his bowling performance, Jammu and Kashmir built their lead largely through a 75-run knock from Paras Dogra and a quick 64 off 58 balls by number ten batsman Lone Nasir. By stumps, Rest of India reached 24 for the loss of one wicket, trailing by 17 runs after losing in-form batsman Shikhar Mohan.

Injury and Recovery

Now in the ninth year of his domestic career, Mukesh has played only 22 First-Class matches due to multiple injuries, including a rib fracture, a back injury, and a side strain. He noted that past injuries stemmed from overexertion during long spells in the Ranji Trophy, such as bowling an 11-over spell that caused a side strain. To prevent future breakdowns, he now restricts his bowling volume to 30 to 35 overs per week and focuses on physical conditioning, which has increased his bowling speed from 130-135 km/h to a comfortable 140 km/h. Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan supported him during his stress fracture recovery ahead of IPL 2023 by assuring him of his place in the franchise.

Context

The Irani Cup is a prominent fixture in Indian domestic cricket that traditionally matches the reigning Ranji Trophy champions against a Rest of India team. Performances in such high-level domestic matches are closely watched by national selectors to identify talent for the Indian cricket team.