At midnight on Thursday evening, the legendary Eden Gardens had a legendary finale as a knock of a lifetime delivered in the hands of the young Mukul Choudhary led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a sensational three-wicket triumph against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Choudhary's undefeated run is the latest in his career: 54 off just 27 balls*, a chase that quieted the partisan Kolkata cheering public and brought the two important points for spectators.
The KKR Charge
As early as the night, after getting put in to bat, KKR came in a competitive 181/4. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (41 off 24) and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45 off 33) sustained the innings.
When it came down to the death overs KKR looked like they were going to book a huge total, but Digvesh Rathi’s team, the LSG bowlers, pulled things back. But Rovman Powell’s late flourish left KKR with a powerful total to defend on a surface that offered some turn.
LSG’s Top-Order Wobble
LSG’s chase began poorly. Vaibhav Arora upended the game early, in quick succession, dismissing openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. By the time the veteran Nicholas Pooran went for 13, LSG were reeling at 95/5, while the required run rate had been raised to over 12 per over. Ayush Badoni kept the fight going with a gritty 54, but when he got out in the 16th over, Lucknow started to look like writing was on the wall.
The Choudhary Masterclass
Enter Mukul Choudhary. The ₹2.6 crore auction purchase, which featured his own domestic adventures with Rajasthan, stepped out into a pressure cooker. With over 60 runs required in the last five overs, Choudhary began attacking the KKR bowlers. With surgical precision, he struck the short boundaries, puncturing seven towering sixes.
It was the 18th over, bowled by Navdeep Saini, that proved to be the turning point. Choudhary dispatched him for three consecutive maximums. Even after losing partners on the other end, Choudhary stayed cool as ice. With 14 needed off the final over, he closed the game with a ball to spare, lobbing a drive over cover to send a cascade of wild celebrations into the LSG dugout.
The win keeps LSG in the top half of the table, while KKR will be left to rue their execution in the death overs.
