Lucknow Super Giants batter Mukul Choudhary delivered a standout innings against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday, rescuing his side in a high-pressure chase. He finished unbeaten on 54 off 27 balls, striking two fours and clearing the ropes seven times as LSG chased down a 182-run target on the final delivery.
Quick facts
- Mukul Choudhary scored 54* off 27 balls for Lucknow Super Giants versus Kolkata Knight Riders.
- His innings included two fours and seven sixes.
- LSG reached a 182-run target on the last ball of the match.
- Justin Langer’s pre-set prediction about Choudhary went viral after the win.
- Choudhary said his goal was to bat to the end during the chase after being named Player of the Match.
The timing of Choudhary’s breakthrough has also turned a confident message from LSG head coach Justin Langer into viral social media content. After the dramatic finish against KKR, LSG posted a clip in which Langer promised that Mukul would evolve into the “scariest No. 6 or 7 batter in India.”
After the game, Choudhary explained that his mindset was simple: he wanted to survive and keep going until the final overs. In a chase of 182, LSG were squeezed as the match moved into its concluding phase, but he steadied the innings and flipped the momentum with bold strokeplay.
With the equation tightening, Choudhary struck key sixes late in the innings, including two in the last over. Those blows proved decisive, taking Lucknow over the line and turning the final-ball finish into a memorable statement performance.
He summed up his approach after receiving the Player of the Match award: “My aim was to bat till the last and see what happens. It was only my second match. God has given me this opportunity; there can be pressure, but it is also an opportunity to make a name for myself.”
Choudhary also looked back on how his cricket journey began and what shaped his rise. He said his father had harboured the dream of seeing his son play the sport, even before his own marriage, and that his early development started through age-group cricket.
Speaking about the challenges of growing up in Sikkim, he added that there weren’t many strong academies available there. So he gained experience by playing matches in Delhi and Gurugram, which he believes helped him sharpen his game.
He then described a formative moment when he was competing in a U-19 versus UP contest. “When I was playing against U-19 versus UP, it was a low-scoring game, and I made a contribution, so he knew then that I would make it big,” he said, explaining how that performance strengthened his family’s belief in his potential.
