On Thursday, April 9, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) overcame the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eden Gardens. Even though players like Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Rathi, and Mohammed Shami shone out, it was young Mukul Choudhary who performed brilliantly to lead his team to victory.
LSG needed 54 runs in the final four overs to chase a 182-run goal on a two-paced pitch. The visiting team triumphed off the final ball after Choudhary hammered 52 of these runs.
Following the game, LSG head coach Justin Langer disclosed that the management was persuaded to include the 21-year-old in the IPL 2026 mini-auction by performance analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekaran.
“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.
Langer compared Choudhary to the great Virat Kohli and emphasized his athleticism and quick pace between the wickets. The wicketkeeper-batter has game awareness comparable to someone who has played 300 games, according to the former Australian opener.
“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,” Langer said.
He’s so young, but he’s got that look in his eyes: Langer
According to Langer, Choudhary has the capacity to develop into a finisher on par with mainstays like Andre Russell and Tim David. The child’s hunger at such a young age was also praised by the former.
“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.
