After young Mukul Chaudhary turned a losing affair into a heist in Kolkata, Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer revealed how a cool call from the team’s performance analyst provided the impetus for LSG to pick up the unknown 21-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper in the IPL 2026 auction.
Choudhary scored unbeaten 54 off 27 balls on Thursday’s humid night at Eden Gardens. LSG registered a three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on the last ball. Chasing a target of 182, but Kolkata’s shock finish was behind a scouting call, to which Langer said the franchise was lucky to have picked up on it.
“Oh, we saw him at a training camp a few months ago, the first time we picked him. There’s a lot of talent in this country. Big thanks to Srinivas, our data analyst, who said, ‘Coach, we’ve got to get this kid.’ We did that, and we were lucky,” Langer told Faf du Plessis in a broadcaster’s interview after LSG’s win.
Got recognition at junior level The 21-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper is finding his way In IPL auction, where LSG secured him for Rs 2.60 crore. On Thursday, that investment paid off in the most dramatic way.
At one point, KKR were firmly in control with 42 runs to defend in 18 balls. Chaudhary changed the equation within a few minutes. He hit two sixes off Karthik Tyagi, then used his luck and timing against Cameron Green to make the chase difficult. A misfit safe fell, a swing was missed and then a counter-attack of 6, 4, 6 took place to pull LSG back. In the final over, he hit another six before clipping the ball over cover, slightly off the target, on the last ball.
Langer said he was impressed by Mukul’s athleticism and awareness, saying he runs between the wickets like Virat Kohli and understands the game like a much more experienced player.
“The thing I like most about him is that he is a real athlete. The way he runs between the wickets is typical of Virat. But the other thing is his game understanding. We have had a few practice games, and the way he talks about the game it seems like he has already played 300 matches. He has strength, he is a great athlete and he has poise. As we both know, it is a very good combination.”
“He has played a bit of cricket, although not a ton. But there are very few players like Tim David and Andre Russell. I am not even comparing him, but players like that make their careers around finishing games. That is the way he has grown up playing. He is used to finishing games, he thinks about it and he is only 22. He is very young, but he has such a look in his eyes. He is hungry. “His parents and family,” Langer said. Will be very proud of him today. When you come in for the first time, you work very hard and it will be a big moment in his life and career.
When the equation reached 64 runs needed in the last four overs, the LSG coach admitted that he had started preparing for a different result.
“When 64 runs were needed in the last four overs, I was probably thinking that this is what happens when you are a coach. When you are playing or commentating, you are on the easy side. I was thinking what I would say to the players after the game. I thought we bowled brilliantly on this wicket, we were excellent. I really took note of it, whether we won or lost. Our bowling was excellent and our fielding was also excellent, So I was really happy with that. But we also talked about the responsibility a 22-year-old has taken, and what an effort it was.
In the lead up to IPL 2026, Justin Langer had said that rookie Mukul Choudhary has the potential to become the “scariest” finisher in India and revealed how the team has worked closely with the youngster to turn that promise into reality.
“Wins like this are huge for the dressing room. If you win close ones, you build confidence. It doesn’t matter whether it comes with the ball or chasing a tight target, those wins are like a magical tonic. Hopefully that will give us confidence at the start of the season. There is still a lot left in our game. What I like about him in the nets is that he is very keen. There were some areas that we identified immediately. We We have seen his strengths but also worked on his weaknesses. We have been training with him every day and it showed today that he wants to get better and we have seen that in the last four weeks since he has been with us.
“And yes, a big compliment to the scouts. He is rarely mentioned, but Srinivas has been with us for a long time. He has a very sharp cricket mind. He sits next to me and often tells me what is going to happen next. He has picked some fantastic players for us. The scary thing is that in Indian cricket, we have three or four more players waiting for their chance. The talent here is incredible. If you get to this level, it means That you are very good because there are so many people trying to play IPL cricket, leave alone international cricket,” Langer signed off.
KKR had the game under their control. But then Mukul Chaudhary emerged, wrists strong, mind clear and nerves intact. An innings that turned chasing into a statement, and a night in Kolkata into a memory that will stay with them.
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published by:
-Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
April 10, 2026 03:59 IST
