Mukul Choudhary announced himself to the IPL world in the most dramatic fashion possible. Walking in at 104 for 5 and watching his side crumble to 128 for 7, the 21-year-old uncaged seven monstrous sixes in a 27-ball blitz that turned an almost certain defeat into a three-wicket heist against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Justin Langer had called him a potential "scariest" finisher in India before the season. The kid just proved his coach right.
Chasing 182, LSG were staring down the barrel when Choudhary needed 54 off the last 24 balls. He went after Kartik Tyagi first, launching consecutive sixes to bring the asking rate back into reach. Cameron Green's slower bouncers — the same weapon that had accounted for Rishabh Pant earlier — drew a mis-hit and a swing-and-miss, but Choudhary adjusted brutally, carving Green for 6, 4, 6 across four deliveries. Only Kieron Pollard, back in 2013, had ever plundered more than 50 runs in the final four overs of a successful IPL chase.
The last over was pure theatre. Needing 14 off six from Sumit Kumar Arora, Choudhary cleared square leg with a towering six off ball two, then played the shot of the match — a Dhoni-esque helicopter off a near-wide yorker that sailed over long-on. Faf du Plessis on commentary couldn't contain himself: "MS Dhoni, eat your heart out!" With one needed off the final delivery, Choudhary swung and missed a slower bouncer but scrambled through for a leg-bye. Eden Gardens fell silent. LSG celebrated wildly.
KKR had earlier posted 181 for 4 on a tricky surface, anchored by Abhishek Raghuvanshi's 45 and Ajinkya Rahane's steady 41. Arora and Jason Roy had LSG reeling with key wickets — Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran all undone by steep bounce. But none of that mattered once Choudhary got going. At 21, with just three IPL caps to his name, he has already etched himself into the tournament's folklore of impossible finishes.
