Mukul Choudhary, 21, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter, has become the toast of the town following his 54-run blitz against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. Coming out to bat at No.7, Choudhary was slow off the blocks, batting at 2 runs off 8 balls at one stage. However, he unleashed another gear after the LSG required 43 runs for the win off the final three overs. The right-handed batter pulled off a heist single-handedly, ensuring the team’s second win on the trot, and keeping KKR winless.

Choudhary, who was just playing his second match under lights, hit sixes for fun, and not once did he flinch despite the pressure rising with each passing ball. The equation eventually boiled down to 7 runs off two balls, and it was then that the batter, who hails from Rajasthan, came up with an extraordinary six over extra cover to bring the equation down to 1 off 1 ball. Eventually, Choudhary and Avesh managed to run a bye to register an improbable win for LSG.

“Oh, 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 told Faf du Plessis in an interview with JioHotstar.

“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 added.

“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 said.

“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 game between KKR and LSG saw the former posting 181/4 in 20 overs after being asked to bat. The hosts then looked set for a win as more than 50 runs were needed in the final four overs for LSG, and the team had lost all experienced batters. However, Mukul raised his hand up, taking the side over the line on the final ball of the game with three wickets in hand.

“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,” said Langer.

“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,” he added.

Mukul Choudhary and Avesh Khan (Pic credit: LSG’s X post)

NEW DELHI: A stunning late surge from Mukul Choudhary and Avesh Khan rewrote the record books as Lucknow Super Giants pulled off a dramatic three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a last-ball thriller at Eden Gardens on Thursday.The defining moment of the contest was the unbeaten 54-run partnership between Mukul and Avesh for the eighth wicket — now the highest stand for the 8th wicket or lower in a successful IPL chase. The remarkable stand, which came off just 24 balls, flipped the script and exposed KKR’s struggles at the death.Chasing 182, LSG were reeling at 128/7 in 16 overs despite a composed 54 from Ayush Badoni. But Mukul, playing just his third IPL game, produced a sensational counterattack that will be remembered for years.

Mukul’s innings was not just about impact but also about milestones. He smashed seven sixes — the most by an LSG batter while batting at No.7 or below. That tally also equals the record for the most sixes hit by any batter from that position in a successful IPL chase, matching Dwayne Bravo’s feat for Chennai Super Kings against Mumbai Indians in 2018.As the pressure mounted, Mukul found an able ally in Avesh, and together they scripted history with their match-winning stand. The partnership not only sealed an unlikely victory but also highlighted LSG’s growing dominance over KKR. This was LSG’s fifth win in seven head-to-head meetings against KKR, including their third victory at Eden Gardens in four attempts.ALSO READ: Sanjiv Goenka’s emotional hug for Mukul Choudhary goes viral after LSG win — WatchKKR falter at the death againFacing Cameron Green in the penultimate over, Mukul smashed two sixes and a four to swing momentum. With 14 needed off the final over, he held his nerve against Vaibhav Arora, launching two more sixes, including a decisive blow off the penultimate delivery.Needing just one run off the last ball, Mukul and Avesh scrambled through to complete the chase, sealing LSG’s second last-ball victory in a run chase after their famous one-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023.Earlier, KKR had posted 181/4 but failed to close out the game, with their inexperienced pace attack once again faltering under pressure.

CHENNAI: “The crowd applauded us for 15 minutes at a stretch after the Test match was over. I still remember that moment,” CD Gopinath told TOI a few years ago, recalling India’s historic first Test win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Madras (then). It was 1952, India had beaten England in the fifth Test by an innings and eight runs. Gopinath had scored a breezy 35, to be one among that historic game’s many heroes — Vinoo Mankad (12 wickets), Polly Umrigar (130) and Pankay Roy (111).At 96, the last living member of that team, he passed away in his sleep here on Thursday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Gopi was a lovely batsman to watch, a very natural player, and a shrewd captain. He also kept wickets from time to time. But what always stood out was his geniality,” V Ramnarayan, former Hyderabad off-spinner and a well-known cricket historian, who co-wrote Gopinath’s autobiography, ‘Beyond Cricket — A Life In Many Worlds’, told TOI.Gopinath played in eight Test matches, between 1951-60. But it wasn’t without its share of controversies. “In Gopi’s own words, during the 1952 Test series in England, he was insulted by captain Vijay Hazare. He felt he was being targeted because he was a South Indian and chose not to go for the next West Indies series,” Ramnarayan said.Gopinath’s contribution to Tamil Nadu cricket was immense as well. He was part of the Madras team that won its first Ranji Trophy title in 1954-55. “In the final, against a powerful Holkar side which had Mushtaq Ali, he scored 133 in the first innings and had to take over the captaincy towards the business end of the game,” Ramnarayan added.Along with cricket, Gopinath had other interests, game hunting being one of those. In 1955-56, Gopi took the visiting New Zealand team for a hunting expedition. “While returning, they got late and returned only on the morning of the match against South Zone. But Gopi went on to score a 175 in that game,” the historian added.Gopinath played his last Test in 1960 at Eden Gardens and didn’t extend his first-class career for long either. In 1962, aged 32, he retired from cricket chiefly because he was employed at a responsible position with a British firm, Gordon Woodroffe. “He had a life beyond cricket, he was a terrific tennis player, his wife Comala being his mixed doubles partner. They won quite a few tournaments in those days,” Ramnarayan said.Gopinath had a sharp mind, loved to play bridge, used to keep track of the current Indian team, and was never shy of a conversation around cricket. “For us, it was sheer passion. We used to get only Rs 250 per Test as ‘smoke money’ and always travelled by train. We didn’t stay in hotels. Even foreign players used to share accommodation as ‘house guest’. But I have no regrets,” ‘Gopi’ had told TOI, sometime back, the smile never leaving his face.