Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants’ rising star Mukul Choudhary became an overnight sensation after scripting a stunning last-ball win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. Chasing 182, LSG were in deep trouble at 128 for seven in the 16th over. With the game slipping away, the 21-year-old decided to take matters into his own hands.On a surface that KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane later described as “not easy to play big shots,” Mukul unleashed a breathtaking assault, smashing seven sixes in a fearless display. Remarkably, it was only his third IPL game – and just his second match under lights.“When Ayush bhai (Ayush Badoni) got out, I knew I had to take responsibility. I just wanted to take the game close, I wasn’t thinking about winning or losing,” Mukul said after the match.Having grown up watching MS Dhoni finish games, Mukul lived that dream at Eden Gardens. The youngster from Rajasthan hammered 30 runs in the final two overs, sealing a memorable win in a last-ball thriller.Born in Jhunjhunu, Mukul’s unbeaten 54 off 27 balls stood out not just for the power-hitting, but also for the composure he showed under pressure. He credited his captain Rishabh Pant for keeping him calm in the tense chase.
“Pant told me, ‘why are you thinking so much? Don’t. Just follow the process you’ve been working on.’ That helped,” he revealed, while admitting that the situation was far from easy. “Even if someone is playing their 15th or 50th match, this kind of situation brings pressure. I try to focus on the opportunity, not the pressure.”Interestingly, ahead of the match, Mukul had picked Heinrich Klaasen over several top wicketkeepers — including Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson and Prabhsimran Singh – in a rapid-fire podcast.But when asked to choose between Pant and Dhoni, the youngster smiled and admitted: “Phasa diya aapne… but MS Dhoni.”LSG will next face Gujarat Titans on April 12 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
