NEW DELHI: “Nothing is achieved in an instant; one whole phase of life passes through this fight. We have gathered countless clouds, and only then did we learn how to turn into a river.” The lines are from poet Sandeep Dwivedi’s book “Rone Se Kuch Hota Hai Kya.” They are also the WhatsApp status of Dalip Choudhary, father of Mukul Choudhary—an unfolding cricket journey shaped by years of hardship, sacrifice and determination.
Key takeaways
- The poem line comes from Sandeep Dwivedi’s “Rone Se Kuch Hota Hai Kya” and is used as Dalip Choudhary’s WhatsApp status.
- Dalip Choudhary says his son’s early setbacks in the LSG chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad left Mukul emotional, with red eyes spotted during a video call.
- Mukul Choudhary’s breakthrough in the 2025-26 Under-23 List A Trophy came with 617 runs, including two centuries and four fifties, at a strike rate of 142.49.
- Rajasthan Ranji coach Anshu Jain backed Mukul in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, replacing the injured Kartik Sharma and using him across five matches.
- Dalip Choudhary’s route to supporting Mukul involved repeated struggles, including selling their house, taking loans for a hotel, and even serving jail time without any fraud.
From a tense LSG moment to a promise kept
Dalip Choudhary described the line as a perfect reflection of the journey he shares with his son. He recalled that from a young age, Mukul confronted difficulties—whether it was their father selling their home, searching for a proper cricket academy, regular visits from bank officials, or Dalip being sent to jail. In their story, every step felt hard-won.
After Lucknow Super Giants played their second match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the 21-year-old struggled to lock into his batting rhythm during a pressure-filled chase. Captain Rishabh Pant eventually guided LSG to victory, and after landing the winning shot, he also tried to lift Mukul’s confidence. Yet when Mukul returned to the team hotel, emotions overwhelmed him.
Dalip, watching from Jhunjhunu, noticed the change during a video call. He asked Mukul whether he had cried, and the youngster nodded and smiled. Dalip said Mukul was upset that he couldn’t finish the game. Mukul kept pointing out that LSG had signed him for a significant amount of money, and in his view, the investment mattered only if results followed. He was visibly distressed, then promised his father that in the next outing he would make everyone proud—and Dalip says Mukul delivered on that promise.
How the dream was financed—and defended
Dalip Choudhary comes from Khedaro Ki Dhani, a small village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district. When LSG secured Mukul for Rs 2.60 crore in the auction—more than 13 times his base price—Dalip said his first assurance to his father was that he would repay the loans taken to support the cricket dream. Dalip’s efforts included selling their house to keep the plan alive.
Dalip recalled that he completed his graduation in 2003, the same year he married. He had a clear dream even then: if he ever had a son, the boy would play cricket. The next year, his son was born, and Dalip says he decided early to do everything possible to turn Mukul into a cricketer. He also shared that he prepared for the Rajasthan Administrative Service for six years, but couldn’t clear the exam. He then moved into real estate, but that also did not work out.
In 2016, while searching for a good cricket academy, Dalip and Mukul reached SBS Crickhub in Sikar, about 70 km from their home. Dalip said that once he enrolled Mukul, he realised he did not have enough money and chose to sell their house due to the lack of steady income. He received Rs 21 lakh and asked the buyer to transfer the full sum directly to his account so that the transaction remained on record. He then started a hotel the following year and took another loan, admitting he struggled to pay instalments on schedule. Dalip added that he went to jail during this period, insisting that he never committed fraud.
He also spoke about the pressure from relatives, who he said called him a madman and accused him of ruining his own life and asking him to spare his son. Dalip said those harsh comments only strengthened his family and made him more convinced that he was following the right path.
Dalip himself had a connection to cricket, though he mainly played local matches in the village. As a child, his idols were Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar. He said he would watch Sachin videos with Mukul, but after the 2011 ODI World Cup—when MS Dhoni struck the winning six—Mukul became a Dhoni fan and asked his father for a pair of gloves.
Record runs in Under-23 List A and a rapid rise
In the 2025-26 Under-23 List A Trophy, Mukul Choudhary finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. He amassed 617 runs, including two centuries and four fifties, at a strike rate of 142.49. He also struck 39 sixes, the highest tally in the competition.
Those displays attracted attention from Rajasthan Ranji coach Anshu Jain, who selected Mukul as a replacement for the injured Kartik Sharma for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mukul then played five matches, scoring 173 runs at a strike rate of 198.85.
Jain highlighted a key moment from the competition against Delhi. With 26 runs needed to win, Jain said Mukul struck four sixes to seal the result, delivering when the pressure was at its highest.
Jain also described Mukul’s range of hitting. He said the helicopter shot cover drive for a six was one of the many strokes in his repertoire. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Mumbai, Mukul hit a pull shot over mid-on for six, and Jain said that particular strike impressed him so much that even players from Mumbai applauded.
Dedicated to Dhoni—and to a father’s faith
Mukul dedicated his standout knock to his father and to his cricket idol MS Dhoni. After his heroics in Kolkata, he told reporters he wanted to dedicate the performance to his father, who had decided even before marriage that his son would play cricket. He also explained that he liked how Dhoni would finish matches, adding that Dhoni could clear the ropes even off a yorker. Mukul said that if a batter can hit a delivery like that for six, it forces bowlers to think differently.
On a night when Eden Gardens roared for a new hero, the impact went beyond a quick 27-ball burst. It carried the weight of long years—sacrifices, debt, and belief—finally coming together. In that moment, Mukul Choudhary did not just conclude a game; he honoured a promise, repaid a father’s faith, and transformed a story of struggle into one of arrival.
