There are cricket shots and then there are those that define a player. MS Dhoni’s helicopter shot sits right there.
First seen during that 2006 ODI series against the England cricket team, he didn’t look textbook, and that was fine. It came a little on the edge. Almost as Dhoni used to say, you miss your yorker by an inch and it still flies. The bowlers tried and Dhoni kept whipping them away. Over time it just became a part of who was in the crease, especially in the chases.
Years later, that shot still bears his stamp. Others have tried, a few have come close, but no one really owns it like Dhoni.
which is the reason when he reappeared in Eden GardensThere was a familiar roar and wonder in the crowd.
This time it was Mukul Choudhary.
KKR vs LSG: Highlights | Scorecard
With Lucknow Super Giants trailing in the chase against Kolkata Knight Riders, the game was drifting. Vaibhav Arora went full on the stumps but Mukul was ready. The wrist went through, the bat followed, and suddenly the familiar swing was back. Not just a shot, more of a signal.
And then it just kept coming.
Six more sixes.
Out of nowhere the chase turned. What seemed like a slow fade turned into a solid finish, the kind where you leave nothing for later. LSG got over the line and Mukul pretty much dragged them there.
The nice thing is that it wasn’t accidental.
He grew up watching Dhoni, collecting things and clinging to those visuals.
“I’ve always looked up to MS Dhoni because I’m a wicketkeeper myself. I’ve always watched him closely. That helicopter shot of him from the World Cup 2011 is something I still remember from my childhood. Those memories stay with you forever. He’s always been my role model. I’m also a finisher and I want to be like him – someone who finishes games. That’s why CPN is my role model for ESPN.
Against KKR, Mukul played it exactly like Thala for a few overs.
There were many other moments that could have made our Play Of The Day segment after the Eden thriller. You struggled against KKR in the middle overs and struggled to find momentum during that time. LSG were sensational on the field and their bowling in the second half was impressive.
Also a special mention to Sunil Narine who almost changed the game with his stunning spell. But that day really belonged 21-year-old Mukul Chaudhary from Jhunjhun in Rajasthan.
While Narine was brilliant for KKR, Mukul’s match-winning knock for LSG was just a better story. (Photo: PTI)
MUKUL CHANNELS MS DHONI
And it wasn’t just the helicopter that made the return complete.
Mukul Choudhary has often spoken of looking up to MS Dhoni and it goes beyond cricket, with this shared pull towards the armed forces. But at Eden Gardens it was the finishing touches that stood out.
The last four overs belonged entirely to the 21-year-old.
There wasn’t much left around him. The batters were out, the tail was in and Avesh Khan was at the other end. Normally, by this point, many would have assumed that Mukul was fighting a losing battle.
But we have seen such scenarios several times when he was his idol in the crease.
Rewind to the third ODI between India and Australia in 2013 when MS Dhoni scored 139 runs to power India from 154 for six to 303 with the support of the bowlers. Sure, Ashwin was also an all-rounder back then, but the pressure meant that Dhoni had to take over most of the scoring.
The vibes were incredibly similar on April 9 in Kolkata.
Against KKR, Mukul kept it simple. It was a scenario that simply involved banging the ball and making sure it went out of bounds at every point.
Once he got moving, it was game over. Mukul turned the game in LSG’s favor as KKR looked favorites to win. (Photo: PTI)
He kept most of the strike, the runs ticked by, but he didn’t try to do everything himself.
Mukul Choudhary knew when to take over and when to trust Avesh Khan.
It’s something you’ve often seen with MS Dhoni at his peak. He would control the chase, but also make sure the man on the other end felt a part of it. Flash back to 2017 against Sri Lanka. India were 131 for 7, chasing 231, and Dhoni combined with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, even guiding him to his fifty as he closed out the game.
The same calm appeared in Eden Gardens.
Mukul didn’t hesitate to give Avesh a strike when needed and trusted him to do so, thus not losing his wicket and making sure he didn’t do anything stupid.
Avesh has had enough tight ends in the IPL but it still requires attention from the set batter to trust the other end.
And that’s what made this knock stand out.
Not just hitting, but thinking.
The chopper is well and truly away from Mukul and LSG and we may see a new finisher emerge in the IPL.
Just like young Dhoni did when he hit James Anderson for a six with the world famous helicopter shot.
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– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
10 Apr 2026 07:32 IST
