After young Mukul Choudhary turned a lost cause into a heist in Kolkata, Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer revealed how a quiet phone call from the team’s performance analyst set the wheels in motion for LSG to pick the unheralded 21-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper in the IPL 2026 auction.
On a humid Thursday night at the Eden Gardens, Choudhary powered an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls LSG to a last ball win by three wickets over Kolkata Knight Riders in a chase of 182. But behind the target that stunned Kolkata was a scouting call that Langer said the franchise was lucky to have acted on.
“Oh, we saw him a few months ago in training camp when we first picked him up. There’s so much talent in this country. Shrinivas, our data analyst, said, ‘Coach, we’ve got to get this guy.’ That’s how we did it and we got lucky,” Langer told Faf du Plessis in an interview with the TV station after LSG’s win.
Recognition at junior level led to The 21-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper found his way to 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 minutes. He took on Kartik Tyagi for two sixes, then rode his luck and timing against Cameron Green in a chase-turning sequence. The error fell to safety, the swing missed and then came a 6, 4, 6 counter to pull LSG back. He hit another six in the final over 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 much 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 sense of the game. We’ve had some practice matches and the way he talks about the game, I feel like he’s played 300 games. He’s got power, he’s a great athlete and we both know he’s got a good combination.”
“He’s played a bit of cricket, not a lot. But there are very few players like Tim Davids and Andre Russells. I’m not even going to compare him, but those players build their careers around finishing plays. That’s how he grew up playing. He’s used to finishing plays, he thinks about it, and he’s only 22, he looks so young he looks.” His parents and family are going to be very proud of him today when you walk in for the first time, you’re trying hard and it’s going to be a huge moment in his life and career,” added Langer.
As the equation climbed to 64 needed off the last four overs, the LSG coach admitted he had started to prepare for a different result.
“When 64 runs were needed in the last four overs, I probably thought to myself, this is what happens when you’re coaching. When you’re playing or commentating, you’re on the easier side of the fence. I was thinking about what I’d say to the players after the game. I thought we played brilliantly on that wicket, we were really outstanding. I actually noticed that regardless of whether we won or lost, our elite were so brilliant. Our bowling was so good But we also talked about taking charge Today the 22-year-old took charge and what an effort it was.
Ahead of IPL 2026, Justin Langer said rookie Mukul Choudhary has the potential to become India’s “most fearsome” finisher and revealed how the team worked closely with the youngster to turn that promise into reality.
“Wins like this are massive for the dressing room. If you win tight spots, you get confidence. It doesn’t matter if it comes with the ball or in a tight chase, these wins are like a magical tonic. Hopefully it will give us confidence at the start of the season. We also have a lot of positives left in our game. What I love about him, we were very curious to see in the nets.” strengths but also worked on his weaknesses. We trained with him every day and it showed today, he wants to improve, he works very hard and we’ve seen that in the last four weeks he’s been with us.
“And yes, a big shout out to the scouts. They are rarely mentioned but Shrinivas has been with us for a long time. He has a very sharp cricketing mind. He sits next to me and often tells me what is going to happen next. He has picked some great players for us. The scary thing is that with Indian cricket we have an incredible chance of their next three or four levels. It means you are very good because so many people are trying to play IPL cricket, let alone international cricket cricket,” Langer signed off.
KKR had the game in their hands. But then came Mukul Choudhary’s wave, wrists firm, mind clear and nerves intact. An innings that turned a chase for a statement and a night in Kolkata into a memory that will stay with him.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
10 Apr 2026 03:59 IST
