Mukul Choudhary, 21, has quickly become the talk of the IPL circuit after his match-winning 54-run knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday. Batting at number seven for Lucknow Super Giants, Choudhary started cautiously, reaching just two runs from eight deliveries at one stage. But once Lucknow’s chase turned into a late surge—needing 43 runs to win from the final three overs—he changed the tempo decisively. The right-hander then carried out the chase almost single-handedly, helping LSG notch their second consecutive victory and keeping KKR without a win.
Choudhary was only appearing under lights for the second time in his IPL career, yet he looked completely unfazed as the required rate climbed with every ball. As the chase tightened, the target finally came down to seven runs off the last two deliveries. In that moment, the Rajasthan-born batter struck a remarkable six over extra cover to leave the equation at 1 run needed from the final ball. Lucknow ultimately sealed an unlikely win, with Choudhary and Avesh running a bye to finish the chase successfully.
After the result, Lucknow head coach Justin Langer explained how the franchise managed to secure Choudhary. The former Australian opener said it was the video analyst who pushed the team to make a strong bid for the youngster. Langer also highlighted that Choudhary, who idolises MS Dhoni, had set a base price of INR 30 lakh at the auction before LSG bought him for INR 2.6 crore.
“We saw him earlier at a training camp a few months ago, the first time we picked him up. There’s so much talent in this country. A big shout-out goes to Shrinivas, our data analyst, who said, ‘Coach, we’ve got to get this kid.’ So we did, and we were lucky to,” Langer said in an interview with Faf du Plessis for JioHotstar.
Langer added that what stood out most about Choudhary was his athleticism and the maturity in his approach. “What I love most about him is that he’s a real athlete. The way he runs between the wickets is elite, like Virat. But the other thing is his game sense. We’ve had some practice games, and the way he talks about the game makes it feel like he’s played 300 matches already. He’s got power, he’s a great athlete, and he’s got grace. As we both know, that’s a pretty good combination,” he said.
“He’s hungry”
Langer also said Choudhary is well aware of what it takes to finish games, noting that the mindset appears to come naturally to him even at a young age. “He’s played a bit of cricket, not a heap though. But there are very few players like the Tim Davids and the Andre Russells. I’m not even going to compare him, but those kinds of players build careers around finishing games. That’s how he’s grown up playing. He’s used to finishing games, he thinks about it, and he’s only 22 years old. He’s so young, but he’s got that look in his eyes,” Langer explained.
He further described the hunger he sees in the youngster and the significance of the moment for Choudhary’s family. “He’s hungry. His parents and family will be very proud of him today. When you first come in, you try so hard, and this will be a massive moment in his life and career,” Langer added.
The match itself swung after KKR posted 181/4 in 20 overs when asked to bat. Lucknow appeared set for victory early on, with the chase still requiring more than 50 runs in the final four overs and with the team having already lost all their experienced batters. Yet Choudhary stepped up and steered LSG across the line on the final ball of the contest, doing so with three wickets in hand.
Langer reflected on the pressure of the finish and the way plans turn into on-field decisions. “When 64 runs were needed in the last four overs, I was probably thinking this is what happens when you coach. When you’re playing or commentating, you’re on the easy side of the fence. I was thinking about what I’d say to the players after the game. I thought we bowled brilliantly on this wicket; we were outstanding. I actually noted that down regardless of whether we won or lost,” he said.
He also praised the team’s overall discipline. “Our bowling was excellent, and our fielding was elite, so I was really pleased with that. But we also spoke about taking responsibility. Today, a 22-year-old kid has taken responsibility, and what an effort it was,” Langer concluded.
