Mukul Choudhary struck a whirlwind 54 off only 27 balls to steer Lucknow Super Giants to a memorable three-wicket triumph over Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL 2026 match in Kolkata on Thursday. Set a challenging target of 182, LSG found themselves in trouble at 128/7 after 16 overs, but the 21-year-old’s late acceleration completely changed the tempo. His 54 featured 2 fours and 7 sixes as he took the game away from KKR in a flurry of clean hitting.
How Choudhary powered the chase
- Choudhary launched a decisive burst in the 17th over bowled by Vaibhav Arora, smashing two sixes to swing momentum back towards LSG.
- He continued the assault in the following over, hitting two more maximums off Kartik Tyagi to keep the required rate under control.
- In the 19th over, delivered by Cameron Green, Choudhary struck even further—two sixes along with a four—turning pressure into domination.
- In the final over, he once again cleared the ropes twice against Vaibhav, sealing a stunning half-century and finishing the chase with LSG winning by 3 wickets.
Who is Mukul Choudhary?
Mukul Choudhary is a domestic cricketer who represents Rajasthan. Ahead of IPL 2026, he was bought for a remarkable ₹2.6 crore following a fierce bidding contest between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals.
His journey began with a first-class debut in January 2023 during the Ranji Trophy, while his List A debut arrived in December 2025. He is particularly recognised for his attacking style in the death overs, where he maintains a T20 strike rate above 160.
Although he started out as a medium pacer, he later transitioned into wicket-keeping. Over time, he built his reputation as a hitter who thrives with aggressive batting. His standout performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy played a major role in drawing the attention of franchises during the IPL 2026 auction, setting the stage for the intense bidding war that secured him for ₹2.6 crore.
