From a Birthday Drive in Sikar to Eden Gardens: Mukul Choudhary's Story Is the Kind Cricket Was Made For

When Mukul Choudhary walked to the crease at Eden Gardens on Thursday night with Lucknow Super Giants reeling at 128 for 7 and 54 needed off 4 overs, nobody outside the LSG dressing room believed the chase was still alive. Twenty-seven balls later, a 21-year-old from Sikar, Rajasthan, had stolen the game — and a franchise’s points — with one of the most breathtaking finishes of IPL 2026.

The Heist at Eden: Ball by Ball

KKR had set LSG a target of 182 — built on Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 45, Ajinkya Rahane’s steady 41, and late cameos from Cameron Green (32*) and Rovman Powell (39*). LSG’s top order never quite settled — Rishabh Pant departed early, Mitchell Marsh hit a few but failed to kick on — and Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy squeezed through the middle overs.

Ayush Badoni kept LSG alive with a composed 54 off 34 balls but was dismissed when the equation required 54 off 24 — at 125/6. Then 128/7. The match looked done.

Choudhary had different ideas. The young wicketkeeper-batter swung hard from the first ball, connecting regularly. Seven sixes and two fours in 27 deliveries. Two balls before the end, LSG still needed seven. He missed two consecutive yorkers. Then, off ball five of the final over, he slashed a fierce cut over point for six — one needed off one ball. A scrambled single sealed it. LSG won off the last ball by three wickets.

LSG head coach Justin Langer was in no doubt what had happened.

“The way Mukul hit the ball tonight showed he is capable of even bigger things. His ball-striking was exceptional under serious pressure.”

The Father Who Chose Cricket Over His Career

The innings was the result of a sacrifice made not by Mukul, but by his father — years before the boy knew anything about cricket.

Mukul’s family is from Sikar, a small city in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, where cricketing infrastructure barely existed until recently. His father had no cricket background but carried a dream: that someone in the family would play the sport that had long been out of his own reach.

That dream came with a cost. When the time came to invest in that future, Mukul’s father was preparing for the Rajasthan Administrative Service — one of the most prestigious state-level civil service examinations in India. He was also teaching at a college. There was not enough time or money for both.

Mukul explained the moment his father made the decision.

“It was my father’s dream to play cricket at a big level. We come from a very poor family and he wanted someone from the family to play cricket. Our family condition did not allow him to play professionally. He had already made up his mind, even before he was married, that when he had a son, he had to make him play cricket.”

“At that time, he also used to teach in a college and was preparing for RAS as well, then he understood that either he can prepare for the Rajasthan Administrative Service or he can make me play cricket professionally. So, he left his RAS preparation, did some property work, earned some money, and when I turned 12, he enrolled me in the SBS Cricket Academy in Sikar city for the first time.”

The Birthday Drive to Sikar

In 2015, on Mukul’s birthday, his father and he drove through three districts looking for a cricket academy.

“I remember in 2015, it was my birthday that day, and my father and I left in the morning to search for an academy. There were three districts nearby — Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar. We were looking for an academy in those three districts. At that time, SBS Cricket Academy in Sikar had just opened up. We saw it there and decided to take admission. It was a new academy, and the people running it were very fond and passionate about cricket. So we found the right place to begin my cricket journey.”

He now trains at the Aravali Cricket Club in Jaipur. The journey from Sikar’s newest academy to Eden Gardens has taken less than a decade.

The Rise Through Domestic Cricket

Mukul made his first-class debut in January 2023 in the Ranji Trophy, and his List A debut as recently as December 2025 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy — where he hammered 173 runs at an average of 57.66 and a strike rate of 198.85 with 13 sixes — was the performance that put franchise scouts on notice.

LSG spotted him first. They paid Rs 2.6 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, winning a bidding war against Rajasthan Royals for the Rajasthan batter. It was a bet that paid off in his very first game.

Dhoni Is the Idol, Finishing Is the Identity

Mukul did not hesitate when asked who he models himself on.

“I always look up to MS Dhoni because I am also a finisher. I always look up to him. His helicopter shot, which is very iconic, is my favourite. The way he led India in the 2011 World Cup, everybody remembers it. I want to be like him and finish off matches and help my team win.”

It is a fitting comparison — not just for the role, but for the origins. Dhoni, too, came from a small-city background with no cricketing pedigree in his family, backed by a parent who believed before anyone else did.

LSG’s next match is against Gujarat Titans in Lucknow on Sunday. On this evidence, the opposition will not be underestimating Mukul Choudhary.

Match Scorecard

Result: LSG beat KKR by 3 wickets off the final ball.