At 128 for 7. Chasing 182. 16 overs gone. 54 runs needed off 24 balls.
Any other team would have
surrendered. Any other player at number seven on just his third IPL appearance
would have blocked and hoped for the best.
Mukul Choudhary had other ideas.
What Happened at Eden Gardens
KKR were firm favourites — they
had an 86% chance of beating LSG after 36 overs in the game. But Choudhary
flipped the script and overpowered the hosts.
The night belonged to Mukul
Choudhary, who cracked an unbeaten 54 off just 27 balls. His fiery knock
included 7 huge sixes and 2 fours at a daunting strike rate of 200.
When Vaibhav Arora tried to york
him, Choudhary helicoptered the seamer over long-on. "MS Dhoni, eat your
heart out! The helicopter shot is back," Faf du Plessis raved on
commentary.
With 13 needed off the last over,
with the Eden Gardens crowd roaring for KKR, the 21-year-old stood at the
crease and did what finishers do.
He hit. He ran. He won.
LSG made 14 runs off the last six
balls at Eden Gardens for their second win — winning by three wickets on the
very last delivery.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Mukul Choudhary 54 not out off 27
balls, Strike Rate 200, Sixes 7, Fours 2, When he came in 104 for 5, 13th over,
when LSG were in deepest trouble — 128 for 7, 16th over Result — LSG won by 3
wickets off the last ball
Player of the Match — Mukul
Choudhary
₹2.6 Crore. What a Bargain.
In the IPL 2026 auction, Mukul
Choudhary sparked a fierce bidding war. After entering with a base price of ₹30
lakhs, he was eventually snapped up by LSG for ₹2.6 crore.
In a league where Cameron Green
costs ₹25.20 crore and was unable to win the match for KKR despite his best
efforts, a ₹2.6 crore rookie came to Eden Gardens and broke three-time
champions' hearts on the last ball.
That is the magic of the IPL.
The Boy Who Trusts Himself
After the match, Choudhary spoke
with a simplicity that belied the pressure of what he had just done.
"My plan was simple — I
wanted to stay till the end. I trust myself that if I remain not out till the
last, I can win the game. I just focus on playing my shots. If the ball comes
into my area, I'll hit it."
"This is just my second
match under lights. There is pressure, sir. But I think God has given me this
opportunity, so I just believe in my ability. This is a chance where you can
become something big or make a name for yourself. So, I focus on the
opportunity, not the pressure."
Twenty-one years old. Third IPL
match. Last ball winner at Eden Gardens.
Not bad for a start.
KKR's Growing Concern
The defeat meant KKR remained
winless after four matches, with their lone point coming from a rain-abandoned
game against Punjab Kings.
Three-time champions. Four
matches. Zero wins. Playing at home in front of their own crowd. And still
losing to a rookie on the last ball.
KKR have bigger problems than
Mukul Choudhary. But last night, he was the biggest problem of all.
IPL Bench Verdict
A new star was born at Eden
Gardens on April 9, 2026. Mukul Choudhary arrived as a name on a teamsheet and
left as a talking point across Indian cricket.
The IPL has always done this —
taken unknowns and made them unforgettable in a single evening. Choudhary's
27-ball 54 belongs in that conversation now.
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