Kamal Ghorui
It was a ‘remember the name’ moment for Mukul Choudhary as he single-handedly led the Lucknow Super Giants to an improbable win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the ‘Garden of Eden’ on Thursday. KKR seemed in control, with the game in their hands. But then Mukul Choudhary turned it around. He stayed calm under pressure and delivered when it mattered most. It became a night he will remember for a long time.Mukul Choudhary scored 54 runs from 27 balls, with two fours and seven sixes as Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets.Chasing 182, LSG rode on Ayush Badoni’s 34-ball 54 and Mukul Choudhary’s brilliant 27-ball 54 not out to cross the line in a last ball thriller.Who is Mukul Choudhary?Mukul Choudhary, 21, is a wicketkeeper-batter who plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket. He performed well at the Under-23 level and then scored 173 runs in five innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 at a strike rate of 198.85. After that, he was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 2.60 crore at the IPL 2026 auction. The 21-year-old made his first-class debut in January 2023 in the Ranji Trophy, while his List A debut came in December 2025. He is known for scoring runs in the death overs and has a T20 strike rate above 160. Mukul’s path to professional cricket began with his father, Dalip Kumar Choudhary. From Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, Dalip followed cricket closely and wanted his son to play the sport even before Mukul was born. The family faced financial issues and there were limited sports facilities in the area, but his father remained focused on helping him pursue cricket. Dalip first worked as a teacher and later moved into real estate and the hotel business, which helped him support his son’s training. He enrolled Mukul at the SBS Cricket Academy in Sikar so that he could get proper coaching and practice. Mukul did not start as a wicketkeeper. When he joined the academy, he was a medium-fast bowler and aimed to build a career in that role. During one match, the team needed a wicketkeeper, and he stepped in. Mukul, who looks up to MS Dhoni, adapted to the role and continued as a wicketkeeper after that. As he progressed, he was noticed by junior selectors and later moved to Jaipur to train at the Aravali Cricket Academy. His mother and younger sister also moved with him so that he could stay focused on cricket. His mother looked after his daily routine, allowing him to concentrate on his game. He made his T20 debut in 2023, and his performances soon drew attention from IPL scouts. At the IPL 2026 auction, he was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 2.6 crore after a bidding contest.
