It was an `I was there` moment at the Eden Gardens as a 21-year-old announced himself to the world. Mukul Choudhary played the innings of his life as his 54 off just 27 deliveries guided Lucknow Super Giants to an unlikely three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata.
Chasing a total of 181, LSG were reeling at 128/7 at the end of the 16th over. Just when all hopes seemed to disappear, Mukul Choudhary stood up and delivered the innings that will live long in everyone`s mind.
Mukul smashed two sixes and a four in Cameron Green`s 19th over, before hitting a couple more in the final over, bowled by Vaibhav Arora. The 21-year-old hit a helicopter shot over the cover boundary, a shot that his idol MS Dhoni would have been proud of. Mukul raced to his maiden IPL half-century and secured a famous win for LSG.
Who is Mukul Choudhary?
Mukul Choudhary is a wicket-keeper batsman who plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket. The 21-year-old is known for his big hitting at the death overs, and has a strike rate of over 160. Mukul was bought for a whopping Rs 2.6 Crore by the Lucknow Super Giants during the auction, after a bidding war with the Rajasthan Royals.
In four games since making his first-class debut against Chhattisgarh in January 2023, Mukul has amassed 103 runs, with a highest score of 45. He scored 35 as an opener in his T20 cricket debut against Jharkhand in October 2023. So far, he has scored 226 runs at an average of 37.66 in seven Twenty20 matches, with a top score of 62 not out.
Speaking at the post-match press conferece Mukul admitted that his dad wanted him to become a cricketer and tonight was a big opportunity for him to make a name for himself.
“My journey started when my father was not even married; he dreamed that his son had to play cricket. I started at the age group level, but there were no good academies in Sikkim. I played matches in Delhi and Guragaon, and that helped me. God has given me this opportunity; there can be pressure, but it is also an opportunity to make a name for myself.”
Mukul believes God gave him this opportunity, but he’s the one who made sure to make the most of it. At just 21, he is already a household name and will hope to carry on this momentum and keep winning matches for his team.
