Much like India’s young batters who have impressed in the IPL and are looking to take the next step forward, the bowling group for the Zimbabwe tour is also eager to make a mark.

The five-match T20I series in Harare gets underway on Saturday.

Among the bowlers, a good part of the attention will certainly be on pacer Mukesh Kumar, who has his targets set for this T20I series. Already a year has passed since the Bengal quick made his India debut in the Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain. In T20Is (14 appearances so far since August 2023), opportunities have been more frequent for Mukesh following his debut last year against the Windies.

The India dressing room and its environment thus isn’t at all new to Mukesh. But what matters most for the 30-year-old quick is his preparation to succeed not just in the upcoming series but also to seal a place for the tour of Australia later in the year.

To make sure that happens, Mukesh has lately attached topmost priority to fitness. So much so that he decided to play all the matches in the recently-concluded inaugural Bengal Pro T20 League, bowling his full quota of overs in almost every game as captain of Sobisco Smashers Malda.

“In spite of a hectic IPL, I wanted to test myself in the Bengal Pro T20 tournament. Even though it was hotter and much more humid when the tournament was on...

“Being the captain of the side, I had to run regularly from mid-on to mid-off and long-on to long-off. There was extra responsibility, but I was ready for that challenge because I wanted to test my endurance level and make myself fitter.

“I could’ve gone out of the field for a couple of minutes’ rest after bowling two overs or so. But I didn’t. I wanted to stretch myself,” Mukesh said before the Shubman Gill-led team’s departure for Harare.

Both Rohit Sharma and Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant have been pleased with Mukesh’s approach in the shortest format. Bowling inside the Powerplay and at the death is equally tough, but Mukesh is ready to take that on even if things haven’t always gone in his favour.

“Bowling the fifth or sixth over of the game, the 12th or 13 — when the acceleration from the batting side usually begins — and then overs 17 to 20 are the phases when there’s maximum risk of being taken to the cleaners. But these are the times that I’ve bowled and I will look to keep doing so since I’m confident of delivering against the odds,” he explained.

The slower ones, yorker-length deliveries and wide yorkers have certainly done well to help Mukesh combat death-overs slogging.

Consistent performances against Zimbabwe and in the games thereafter should work in his bid to cement his place in the India squad and brighten his chances of a place in the touring contingent to Australia.