The Indian Premier League keeps delivering fresh stories each season, and this time the spotlight has swung towards LSG’s Mukul Choudhary. After Delhi Capitals’ David Warner failed to get off the mark in the final two deliveries of their meeting with Gujarat Titans, the narrative turned again at Eden Gardens, where Mukesh Choudhary played a pivotal role. In a match versus Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants needed a late push, and Mukul helped drive the innings with 54 runs coming from the last four overs, turning the chase with an explosive finish. Mukul also credited his father for backing his cricket journey from the very beginning, saying his knock of 54 off 27 balls was dedicated to him.
Mukul dedicates his big knock to his father
Speaking after his son’s rapid-fire display sent IPL conversations into overdrive, Mukul’s father Dalip Choudhary recalled the hardships behind the scenes. Dalip explained that he had always imagined a future for his child in cricket, even before marriage—an idea that stayed with him and eventually became reality when his son arrived. He remembered the moment he asked Mukul whether he cried as a child, and said the response came with an emotional nod and a smile as he watched the performance unfold at the famous Eden Gardens venue in Kolkata.
Dalip further described how the innings became even more meaningful to him because of what Mukul had been through earlier in the season. This was Mukul’s third appearance for Lucknow in IPL 2026 since Lucknow had secured him for Rs 2.60 crore in the auction a year earlier. In the last two matches, he had managed scores of 14 and 2 not out, but his first IPL outing had come against Delhi Capitals, where he could not finish the game in the way he eventually did against KKR. Dalip said Mukul was deeply frustrated after that debut because he believed the expectation that came with the price tag should have translated into results.
“He was frustrated that he couldn’t finish the match,” Dalip said, describing how Mukul kept repeating that Lucknow had invested a large amount in him, so there was no point if he wasn’t helping the team win. Dalip added that his son was upset, but also promised him that the next time he got a chance, he would make everyone proud—and in Kolkata, Mukul delivered on that promise.
Dalip was then asked what exactly Mukul meant by that promise, and the answer was written on the scoreboard as Mukul’s late acceleration at Eden Gardens sealed the moment for LSG. The match itself came on April 9, 2026, with the performance widely circulated in IPL highlights, reflecting the impact of his role during the most crucial phase of the contest.
From a dream after graduation to hardship and loans
Dalip also shared details about his personal journey, explaining how his dream of turning his son into a cricketer began forming alongside his own milestones. He said he graduated in 2003, the same year he got married, and soon after he developed a clear intention: if he ever had a son, that child would play cricket. He recalled that the following year, when he was blessed with a son, he decided from a very early stage that he would do everything possible to help him pursue the sport.
To make that dream happen, Dalip said he did not focus on the scale of competition around him; instead, he tried to provide every opportunity he could. He also questioned why others managed to build careers while his own son could not be supported in the same way. “When so many people make it, why can’t my son?” he remembered asking, describing the determination that drove his choices.
Dalip acknowledged that his family’s financial position forced difficult decisions. He said he sold his house and even took loans to fund Mukul’s pathway into cricket, and he revealed that he even had to go to jail in the process. “Once I enrolled him, I realised I did not have enough money. I decided to sell my house because I did not have a regular income. I got Rs 21 lakh,” Dalip said, adding that he asked the buyer to transfer the full amount to his account so everything remained properly recorded.
He continued by explaining that the following year he started a hotel and took another loan. Dalip admitted that he could not always meet instalments on time, which led to jail. However, he insisted that while he faced consequences, he never committed fraud. “Yes, I failed to pay instalments on time. I even went to jail, but I never committed fraud,” he said.
Dalip also spoke about the emotional cost of those sacrifices. He said relatives distanced themselves from him and even called him a madman, with people telling him he had ruined his own life and should spare his son. He said those words only strengthened his resolve and confirmed that he was pursuing the right path.
As a former cricketer who played only local competitions in his village, Dalip said his inspiration came from watching greats like Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar. He recalled that he used to show videos of Sachin to his son, and after the 2011 ODI World Cup—when MS Dhoni struck the winning six—Mukul became a Dhoni fan. Dalip said that from that point, his son began asking him for a pair of gloves, linking his childhood passion directly to the equipment and dreams that followed.
Keeping promises: paying back the loans
When asked what he intends to do after Lucknow bought Mukul for Rs 2.60 crore in last year’s auction, Mukul had already made one aim clear. He said his plan was to repay the loans his father had taken to support his cricket journey, tying the success at IPL level back to the sacrifices made at home.
