Kolkata, April 10
Lucknow Super Giants batter Mukul Choudhary reflected on his journey and mindset after delivering a match-winning knock that helped his side to clinch a narrow three-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens.
Choudhary, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 54, spoke about the early struggles in his cricketing journey.
"Even before my dad got married, it was his dream that his son would play cricket. Financial condition was not very good at the start. I began playing at 12-13 years old. There were not a lot of academies in Jhunjhunu and then I moved to Jaipur," he said.
Highlighting his efforts to adapt to the evolving game, he added, "I saw how much T20 cricket is growing, so I moved to Gurgaon (now Gurugram) and stayed there for 3-4 months."
Recalling a turning point in his career, Choudhary said, "My dad tells me there was an Under-19 match against Uttar Pradesh. It was a low-scoring match but I scored runs and that is when he knew I would make it big."
Speaking about handling pressure in high-stakes situations, the youngster said he prefers to view it as an opportunity. "Pressure is always there, but God has given us this opportunity and I try to do what I can. I see it as an opportunity rather than taking pressure. My plan was to play till the end, and I believed that if I stayed till the end, I could make the team win," he said.
Choudhary also revealed his approach in the final moments of the chase. "I knew one ball would be in my area and I needed to hit just one six," he said, adding that his first six of the match was the most special.
"I have always been hitting since I was young. If it is in my area, I smash it," he added, underlining his natural power-hitting ability.
Coming to the match, Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in a last-ball thriller at Eden Gardens, successfully chasing 182 in IPL 2026. Half-centuries from Ayush Badoni (54) and Mukul Choudhary (54*) anchored the chase, with Choudhary's explosive finishing sealing the win in the final over.
According to CricViz, Mukul Choudhary and Avesh Khan's unbeaten 54-run stand was also the highest for the 8th wicket or lower in a successful IPL chase.
In a unique match-winning effort, Mukul scored 52 of those runs, while Avesh played his part with 1*(3) at the other end.
Earlier, KKR posted 181/4 riding on contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (41), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45), and a late push by Rovman Powell and Cameron Green. Despite tight spells from KKR bowlers, LSG held their nerve to complete a dramatic win.
- ANI
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