Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant was left “short for words” after Mukul Choudhary pulled off a heist to give his team an improbable win against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. After the 15-over mark, it seemed done and dusted, and the hosts looked like the firm favourites to walk away as the victorious party. However, the 21-year-old had other plans as he staged a remarkable comeback, hitting a valuable half-century to take Lucknow over the line with three wickets in hand.
Not even once did Choudhary look overawed with the situation. On the final two balls of the game, LSG needed seven runs, and it was then that the right-handed batter inarguably played the shot of the game, hitting a wide yorker bowled by Vaibhav Arora, for a massive six towards extra cover. On the final ball, the batter failed to get a connection, but Choudhary and Avesh Khan were able to run a quick single to ensure LSG’s victory.
At the post-match presentation, Pant said he’s feeling amazing to see Mukul’s contribution, calling his effort “fantastic”. He also said that this nervous win would ensure that his team is prepared for all kinds of situations in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament.
“When we see him (Mukul) in the nets, when you see someone, you can see that, but when you do it in the match, it just feels amazing. Yeah, like I don’t have words to describe. It’s just overwhelmed from the match, but what a fantastic effort,” Pant said at the post-match presentation.
“It’s definitely the character, character with every match like this, someone putting a hand up, it shows that something is building for sure. We don’t want to talk much about that, but at the same time, we know something good is cooking inside, and hopefully, it’s gonna flourish soon,” he added.
The wicketkeeper-batter also admitted that he is well-equipped to deal with players who come from smaller cities and knows how to get the best out of them.
“See, Definitely. One thing I made sure of, personally, is that sometimes the trust is there, and when you believe in someone as a player, as a captain, they have the trust of the management. A player can do wonders with that trust. I think that definitely plays a big role,” said Pant.
‘Senior pro’
While all the plaudits will go to Mukul, one shouldn’t forget about the half-century hit by Ayush Badoni as well. Pant, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran all went early, and it was Badoni’s 54-run knock that kept LSG in the chase of 182.
Speaking of Badoni, Pant said, “He’s been like now a senior pro in our team. That’s the kind of role we have given him, trusting him. First two matches, didn’t get away, but in a situation like this, bread and butter. When we talk about Badoni, these are the kind of situations that you want to see from Badoni, in these kinds of situations. And he played an amazing role today.”
Earlier, LSG won the toss and opted to bowl. KKR posted 181/4 in 20 overs, and it was Mohammed Shami once again who stepped up with the ball. The veteran didn’t take a single wicket against the hosts, but only gave away 27 runs in his quota of four overs.
“Shami is not getting any younger, I guess, but his experience, the kind of experience he brings to the side, is so invaluable. Sometimes every match doesn’t work out, but at the same time, having someone like him, it’s so amazing, especially, and not only just Shami bhai, the whole bowling unit does an amazing job,” Pant concluded.
