Mukul Choudhary recalls father’s sacrifice after Eden Gardens heroics

For young wicketkeeper-batter Mukul Choudhary, who lit up the Eden Gardens with a match-winning half century for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders in Thursday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 contest, it meant much more than just two points for his team but a reminder of the sacrifices his father made to help him chase his cricketing dreams.

Choudhary was the standout performer at the Eden Gardens, smashing an unbeaten 54 off just 27 deliveries, including seven sixes and two fours, to guide LSG to a thrilling three-wicket win. His innings came at a crucial juncture, with the side reeling at 128/7 and seemingly out of the contest before he turned the game around with a composed yet explosive finish.

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The knock drew parallels with his earlier exploits in domestic cricket, where he had orchestrated a similar chase for Rajasthan against Delhi in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, underlining his growing reputation as a finisher.

Reflecting on his journey, Choudhary credited his father’s unwavering belief and sacrifice as the foundation of his career. “It was my father’s dream to play cricket at a big level, we come from a very poor family and he wanted someone from the family to play cricket. Nowadays, there is a lot of money and fame in cricket. Cricket is his favourite sport, but our family condition did not allow him to play cricket professionally.

“He had already made up his mind, even before he was married, that when he would have a son, he would make him play cricket. When I was young, our family situation was not strong and it was not possible for him to get me enrolled in a cricket academy.

“At that time, he also used to teach in a college and was preparing for RAS as well, then he understood that either he can prepare for Rajasthan Administrative Service or he can make me play cricket professionally.

“So, he left his RAS preparation, did some property work, earned some money, and when I turned 12 years old, he enrolled me in the SBS Cricket Academy in Sikar city for the first time,” Choudhary recalled in an interaction with JioHotstar.

Now training at the Aravali Cricket Club in Jaipur, Choudhary also spoke about the early challenges of pursuing cricket in a region with limited infrastructure and guidance.

“The challenge was that I did not know anything about cricket before I started playing at a professional level. I had no cricket connection in my family. Nobody from our area was a cricket player. I did not know anything about the sport.

“I remember in 2015, It was my birthday that day and my father and I left in the morning to search for an academy. There were three districts nearby – Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sikar. We were looking for an academy in those three districts. At that time, SBS Cricket Academy in Sikar had just opened up.

“We saw it there and decided to take admission in that academy. It was a new academy and the people running the academy were very fond and passionate about cricket. So we found the right place to begin my cricket journey,” he elaborated.

Looking ahead, with LSG set to face Gujarat Titans in Lucknow next, Choudhary said he hopes to replicate such match-winning efforts consistently, drawing inspiration from one of India’s greatest finishers, MS Dhoni.

“I always look up to MS Dhoni because I am also a finisher. I always look up to him. His helicopter shot, which is very iconic, is my favourite. The way he led India in the 2011 World Cup, everybody remembers it. I want to be like him and finish off matches and help my team win,” he said.