Experienced Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin commended the Indian fast bowler Mukesh Kumar, referring to him as the 'Junior Shami.'
In a discussion on his official YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed that initially, upon meeting Mohammed Siraj, he anticipated that he will become the understudy of Mohammed Shami. However, Ashwin's perspective shifted when he saw Mukesh Kumar, leading him to believe that the 30-year-old could be the emerging counterpart to the leading wicket-taker of the 2023 ODI World Cup.