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Mukul Choudhary's "defining knock" steals thriller for LSG vs KKR in IPL 2026

Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in a final-ball thriller, successfully chasing a target of 182. KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane credited LSG's Mukul Choudhary for his "defining" unbeaten knock of 54, which powered the chase in the death overs. Rahane expressed pride in his team's effort and defended his bowlers, stating 180-185 was a good total on the wicket. The win was set up by a fine half-century from Ayush Badoni and supported by KKR's batting contributions from Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and a late push from Rovman Powell and Cameron Green.

Key Points: LSG beat KKR in last-ball IPL thriller | Rahane credits Choudhary

  • LSG win last-ball thriller
  • Choudhary's match-winning 54*
  • Rahane defends KKR bowlers
  • 182-run chase successful
  • Fine half-centuries from Badoni & Choudhary
2 min read

"Mukul's knock was defining": KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane after three-wicket loss vs LSG

Lucknow Super Giants chase 182 vs KKR on final ball. Rahane calls Mukul Choudhary's unbeaten 54 "defining" in a narrow three-wicket IPL 2026 loss.

"Mukul's knock was defining. The way he played his shots... - Ajinkya Rahane"

Kolkata, April 10

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed disappointment after his side's narrow three-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants but "credited" Mukul Choudhary for his match-winning knock in the IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens.

"Tough one to take. Really proud of the boys, the way we played. Mukul's knock was defining. The way he played his shots...in games like this, you do not want to pinpoint too many things. Execution here and there can happen, but credit to Mukul and that partnership," Rahane said during the post-match presentation.

The KKR captain acknowledged that LSG batters capitalised on their chances, especially in the death overs.

"Those deliveries did work. They had nothing to lose. It was about swinging every ball. There were brilliant shots. The way he batted was amazing," he added.

Rahane also backed his bowling unit despite the loss, stating, "Thought our bowlers did their job. When you lose a game, you think about how you could have done better. 180-185 was a very good total on this wicket."

Speaking about the final over tactics, Rahane explained, "We wanted to keep him on strike, but we had to keep five inside. It is tough for the bowlers bowling the last over with five up."

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.

Fine half-centuries from Ayush Badoni (54) and Mukul Choudhary (54*) and Choudhary's explosive finishing helped LSG to chase 182 runs in the final overs.

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.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, that was a fantastic advertisement for T20 cricket. Eden Gardens crowd must have been on the edge of their seats! Mukul's innings was special, but KKR's total was just 10-15 runs short. Great game overall.
A
Ananya R
Rahane bhai is being too gracious in defeat. Yes, Mukul played well, but our death bowling was poor. Giving away so many runs in the last 3 overs is not acceptable at this level. Need to learn quickly before the next match! 💜
V
Vikram M
Mukul Choudhary is a future star for India, mark my words! The way he targeted the short boundary was pure class. LSG scouting team deserves credit for finding these gems. IPL 2026 is already delivering!
K
Karthik V
Respect to Rahane for his dignified response. No blame game, just credit to the opponent. That's true sportsmanship. The team will bounce back. KKR has a strong squad this year.
P
Priya S
Heartbreaking for KKR fans! So close yet so far. The real issue was the middle overs where we didn't accelerate enough. Raghuvanshi played well, but we needed one batsman to go big. On to the next one! 🏏

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