After the young Mukul Choudhary turned a lost cause into a heist in Kolkata, Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer revealed how a quiet call from the team’s performance analyst set the wheels in motion for LSG to pick the unknown 21-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper in the IPL 2026 auction.
On a humid Thursday night at Eden Gardens, Choudhary’s unbeaten 54 off 27 balls powered LSG to a last-ball, three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a chase of 182. But behind the finish that stunned Kolkata lay a scouting call that Langer said the franchise was fortunate to act on.
“Oh, we saw him earlier at a training camp a few months ago, the first time we picked him up. There’s so much talent in this country. A big shout-out goes to Shrinivas, our data analyst, who said, ‘Coach, we’ve got to get this kid.’ So we did, and we were lucky to,” Langer told Faf du Plessis in a broadcaster’s interview after LSG’s win.
Recognition at the junior level led to the 21-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper finding his way into the IPL auction, where LSG secured him for Rs 2.60 crore. On Thursday, that investment paid off most dramatically.
At one stage, KKR were firmly in control with 42 runs to defend off 18 balls. Choudhary changed that equation in a matter of minutes. He took on Kartik Tyagi for two sixes, then rode his luck and timing against Cameron Green in a sequence that flipped the chase. A misfit fell safe, a swing missed, and then came the counterattack, 6, 4, 6 to drag LSG back. In the final over, he struck another six before slicing a slightly off-target delivery over cover to seal the chase on the last ball.
Langer said he was struck by Mukul’s athleticism and awareness, noting that he runs between the wickets like Virat Kohli and carries the game sense of someone far more experienced.
“What I love most about him is that he’s a real athlete. The way he runs between the wickets is elite, like Virat. But the other thing is his game sense. We’ve had some practice games, and the way he talks about the game feels like he’s played 300 matches already. He’s got power, he’s a great athlete, and he’s got grace. As we both know, that’s a pretty good combination.”
“He’s played a bit of cricket, not a heap though. But there are very few players like the Tim Davids and the Andre Russells. I’m not even going to compare him, but those kinds of players build careers around finishing games. That’s how he’s grown up playing. He’s used to finishing games, he thinks about it, and he’s only 22 years old. He’s so young, but he’s got that look in his eyes. He’s hungry. His parents and family will be very proud of him today. When you first come in, you try so hard, and this will be a massive moment in his life and career,” Langer added.
When the equation climbed to 64 needed off the last four overs, the LSG coach admitted he had begun preparing for a different outcome.
“When 64 runs were needed in the last four overs, I was probably thinking this is what happens when you coach. When you’re playing or commentating, you’re on the easy side of the fence. I was thinking about what I’d say to the players after the game. I thought we bowled brilliantly on this wicket, we were outstanding. I actually noted that down regardless of whether we won or lost. Our bowling was excellent and our fielding was elite as well, so I was really pleased with that. But we also spoke about taking responsibility. Today, a 22-year-old kid has taken responsibility, and what an effort it was.
In the lead-up to IPL 2026, Justin Langer had said rookie Mukul Choudhary had the potential to become the “scariest” finisher in India and revealed how the team has worked closely with the youngster to turn that promise into reality.
“Wins like this are huge for the dressing room. If you win the close ones, you build belief. It doesn’t matter whether it comes with the ball or in a tight chase, those wins are like a magic tonic. Hopefully, it gives us a confidence boost at the start of the season. We’ve also got a lot of upside left in our game. What I love about him in the nets is that he’s very curious. There were areas we identified straight away. We’ve seen his strengths, but he’s also worked on his weaknesses. We’ve been doing drills with him every day, and it showed today. He wants to get better, he works very hard, and we’ve seen that over the last four weeks since he’s been with us.
“And yes, a big shout-out to the scouts. They rarely get mentioned, but Shrinivas has been with us for a long time. He has a very sharp cricket mind. He sits next to me and often tells me what’s going to happen next. He’s picked out some brilliant players for us. The scary thing is, with Indian cricket, we’ve got three or four more waiting for their chance. The talent here is unbelievable. If you get to this level, it means you’re very good because so many are trying to play IPL cricket, let alone international cricket,” Langer signed off.
KKR had the game in their grasp. But then came the Mukul Choudhary surge, wrists firm, mind clear, and nerve intact. An innings that turned a chase into a statement, and a night in Kolkata into a memory that will stay with him.
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