Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in a tense finish, with Mukul Choudhary's bold strokeplay turning a near-certain defeat into victory. The late-order batter's chase-shaping innings dominated discussion on Star Sports' 'Amul Cricket Live', where JioStar experts Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammad Kaif examined LSG's recovery and KKR's painful collapse.
During the chase, Lucknow Super Giants slipped to 104 for 5 after 13 overs, with Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran all dismissed cheaply. LSG's established batting group struggled again, forcing the younger players to shoulder responsibility under pressure and change the momentum against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Mukul stood tall, scoring an
unbeaten 54 off just 27 balls as LSG pulled off a stunning win in the final delivery of the match.
Sunil Gavaskar used the show to highlight how Lucknow Super Giants' campaign now depends less on star names. Gavaskar underlined the worrying slump of Nicholas Pooran, who shifted to the middle order for extra power yet appeared unsettled. According to Gavaskar, restoring Pooran's confidence remains crucial even as LSG's younger players keep delivering.
Mukul Choudhary IPL innings hailed as fearless match-turner
"Unbelievable innings by this fearless prodigy, Mukul Choudhary. What I love about the IPL is that every day we get to see something different. We saw David Miller of Delhi Capitals play a fantastic knock and almost help his team get over the line against Gujarat Titans in the previous match, but that knock was played by a renowned World Cup star," Gavaskar said.
"This guy is a young kid who bats at number five for Rajasthan in domestic T20 cricket. He just comes into the IPL, plays an unbelievable innings and makes everyone talk about him. The confidence he showed and the way he executed his shots was simply amazing to watch. At the stage of the innings where he came in to bat, he showed calmness, took his time, settled down properly and began hitting the balls out of the ground. He even played the helicopter shot, which MS Dhoni would have been very nostalgic seeing. He turned down easy singles because he trusted his ability to hit big shots and finish the game. That was simply amazing to watch," he added.
Gavaskar compared Mukul Choudhary's impact with David Miller's earlier effort for Delhi Capitals against Gujarat Titans, pointing out that Miller arrived as a proven World Cup performer. In contrast, Choudhary, who bats at number five for Rajasthan in domestic T20 cricket, seized this IPL stage as a relative unknown and finished the chase with composed aggression.
