Mukul Choudhary played a pivotal role in securing a thrilling victory for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), overcoming a challenging situation to defeat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by three wickets at Eden Gardens on Thursday. This win left KKR without a victory in their first four matches of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). Choudhary’s remarkable performance included an unbeaten 54 runs off just 27 deliveries, which was crucial in LSG’s pursuit of a target set at 182 runs.
Throughout much of LSG’s innings, KKR maintained a strong grip on the game. Vaibhav Arora made an immediate impact in the fifth over, removing both Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, who had formed a formidable opening partnership. Markram was dismissed on the very first ball of the over, with Marsh following shortly after on the third delivery. Cameron Green then made his mark by dismissing LSG’s captain Rishabh Pant with his second ball in the ninth over.
Ayush Badoni attempted to inject some momentum into LSG’s innings, but KKR continued to apply pressure, steadily taking wickets. Badoni managed to score 54 runs off 34 balls before being dismissed by Anukul Roy in the 15th over. Mohammed Shami was the next to go on the last ball of the 16th over, leaving LSG in a precarious position at 128 for 7, still needing 54 runs from the final 24 balls—a situation that set the stage for an incredible turnaround.
Starting with only two runs from six balls when Shami was dismissed, Choudhary quickly shifted the momentum, hitting a four and a six off consecutive deliveries from Arora in the following over. He then targeted Kartik Tyagi, launching two sixes and a four. In the penultimate over, Choudhary continued his assault on Green, hitting two sixes and a four, reducing the required runs to 14 off the last over.
In the final over bowled by Arora, Choudhary struck a six on the second ball, but after two dot balls, LSG needed seven runs from the last two deliveries. Displaying incredible skill, he executed a helicopter shot while on his knees to send the ball soaring for a flat six over deep cover. Although he missed the pull on the final ball, the batters successfully ran a single, securing the victory for LSG.
Earlier in the match, Cameron Green had a challenging time with the bat, finishing with 32 not out from 24 balls. Captain Ajinkya Rahane, after a slow start, contributed with a solid 41 runs off 24 balls. Rovman Powell added valuable runs towards the end, finishing on 39 not out from 24 balls, helping KKR set a competitive total above 180.
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