Close on the heels of a Norwester spell, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) rookie Mukul Choudhary’s whirlwind innings — an unbeaten 27-ball 54 that handed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a three-wicket defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) — stunned not only the host but also thousands of its loyal fans at the Eden Gardens on Thursday night.

Mentored by LSG coach Justin Langer and captain Rishabh Pant, the 21-year-old self-confessed M.S. Dhoni admirer was delighted to rise to the occasion.

Asked about Langer’s reported comment that he would turn Mukul to ‘the scariest No.6 or 7 batter in India,’ the lanky youngster said, “Since he (Langer) trusted me, I wanted to do what he expected.

“Rishabh bhaiya has given me a lot of confidence. In the last match, I was not able to connect [with] the ball. He asked me not to think too much and do what I had been doing.”

Mukul said he had been working to remain calm. “When Ayush (Badoni) bhai got out, I thought if I played till the end, I’ll take the match closer to the target (182). Later, I helped the team win...When I thought about what would happen, I sat quietly and took two-three deep breaths.”

The naturally powerful Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter, who hits 100-150 sixes daily during practice, said his finishing job against Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy gave him confidence. “I got 25 runs in the last over. Since I had the previous experience, I had the belief,” said Mukul, looking at the brighter side of handling pressure.

Published on Apr 10, 2026