Every year, the Indian Premier League provides a platform for aspiring youngsters in the country to unleash their talent on the global stage. One new name that has emerged on the table is 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Mukul Choudhary. The youngster from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, has taken centre stage after his heroics last night on Thursday, against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Coming in at No. 7, Mukul smashed an unbeaten 54 off just 27 balls to see his side through in a tricky chase.
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Long before Mukul became an overnight sensation following his match-winning knock for LSG, his teammate Arjun Tendulkar’s old remarks gained significant attention in the cricketing community. Arjun had predicted Mukul’s rise as a player to watch out for in this IPL campaign after noticing his potential to hit sixes all over the ground during net sessions, a 360-degree hitting range that only a few players possess, like former South African batter AB de Villiers.
What Arjun said
“Mukul Choudhary hits amazing sixes. Yesterday, in a practice match, I saw his sixes. I was really impressed. He hits everywhere, square-leg, point, upper cut, behind the bowler. I was really impressed by his batting,” said Arjun while speaking with Shubhankar Mishra in an interview.
And yesterday, the whole country got to witness these remarks come to life. Mukul’s blistering unbeaten knock of 54 came when LSG were seven wickets down and chasing a steep target, needing 54 with just last four overs remaining. The youngster’s services, acquired for ₹2.60 crore by LSG at the IPL 2026 auction paid off, as he made a statement not only for himself but for the team as well, pulling off a comeback in a crunch situation.
The innings hold huge significance, as this was only the second time in IPL history that a batter has scored a 50+ score with just four overs remaining during a successful run chase, previously achieved by Kieron Pollard for the Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013.
Pant, Langer impressed
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant was amazed and quick to praise Mukul’s efforts in helping his team get over the finish line in the post-match interview. He said, “I do not have words to describe but what a fantastic effort. One thing I made sure of personally is trust, and when you believe in someone, a player can do wonders. The character, with each and every match like this, shows something is building. We don’t want to talk much about it, but something is cooking inside.”
The praise went beyond the pitch, as LSG head coach Justin Langer was full of admiration for the youngster’s athleticism and even compared aspects of his game to Virat Kohli.
“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 game sense. We’ve had some practice games, and the way he talks about the game feels like he’s played 300 matches already. He’s got power, he’s a great athlete, and he’s got grace. As we both know, that’s a pretty good combination,” said Langer.
For Mukul, this performance will serve as a benchmark for the season ahead. It is important that he builds on this momentum, as he has now announced himself as one of the standout prospects of IPL 2026.
