Lucknow Super Giants Silence Eden Gardens; Debutant Mukul Choudhary’s Last-Ball Heroics Stun KKR

KOLKATA: In a game that will be remembered as an all-time IPL classic, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pulled off a miraculous 3-wicket victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens. Facing certain defeat, LSG found an unlikely hero in debutant Mukul Choudhary, whose sensational power-hitting in the final two overs snatched victory from the jaws of the hosts on the final delivery of the match.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Lucknow’s decision seemed questionable early on as KKR’s top order fired in unison. Young opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45) and veteran captain Ajinkya Rahane (41) provided a rock-solid foundation, dealing primarily in boundaries during the powerplay.

The momentum was carried forward by a destructive late-order partnership between Rovman Powell (39)* and Cameron Green (32)*, who plundered 58 runs in the final five overs. Their late-inning blitz propelled Kolkata to a competitive total of 181/4 in their allotted 20 overs, leaving the home crowd confident of a much-needed victory.

Lucknow’s chase began on a disastrous note. The high-profile middle order, featuring Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant, crumbled under the disciplined bowling of KKR’s spin twins. When LSG slumped to 128/7 in the 17th over, the match appeared to be over for the visitors. While Ayush Badoni (54) fought a lonely battle at one end, the required run rate climbed to nearly 15 runs per over.

With 28 runs needed off the final 12 balls, the stage was set for 21-year-old debutant Mukul Choudhary. Facing the world-class Cameron Green in the 19th over, Choudhary showed nerves of steel, extracting 14 runs through a mix of clever placement and sheer power.

The drama reached its peak in the final over, bowled by Vaibhav Arora, with 14 runs required. Choudhary hammered two consecutive “monster” sixes over the mid-wicket boundary, bringing the equation down to 1 run off the final ball. With the field drawn in, the youngster calmly tucked the ball into the gap to complete a 3-wicket win. Choudhary finished with a blistering 54 off just 27 balls, decorated with 7 towering sixes, earning him the ‘Player of the Match’ title on his maiden appearance.

This victory propels the Lucknow Super Giants to the 5th spot on the IPL 2026 points table, keeping their playoff hopes firmly alive. In contrast, the situation has become dire for the two most storied franchises in the league. Both Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) remain rooted to the bottom of the table, having lost all four of their opening matches. Neither team has managed to open their points account yet, marking an unprecedented slump for the former champions in this 19th edition of the tournament.