In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 encounter at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, Mukul Choudhary defied all expectations to stay undefeated with 54 runs off just 27 balls as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) successfully pursued the target of 182 runs on the last delivery of the game, securing a three-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) scored 181/4 in 20 overs, thanks to earlier key hits by captain Ajinkya Rahane and rookie batsman Angkrish Raghuvanshi, as well as a late push from Rovman Powell.
LSG started well by chasing a tough total on a slow pitch, with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh scoring runs at a rate of more than 10 runs per over. In only four overs, the duo raised the squad’s score to 41.
However, Vaibhav Arora led a KKR recovery in the fifth over, taking the wickets of Markram for 22 and Marsh for 15 in the same over.
Despite attempting to steady the innings alongside Ayush Badoni, Captain Rishabh Pant had trouble finding his rhythm and was out for 10 by Cameron Green. Abdul Samad was dismissed for a low score, while Nicholas Pooran also failed to make an impact, scoring 13 runs before being dismissed in the 12th over.
Badoni, who had wickets falling at the other end, kept the innings together and hit seven fours and two sixes in a well-made 54 off 34 deliveries. But shortly after reaching his half-century, he was let go.
Mukul took over the hunt after Badoni left. He maintained LSG in the game by playing aggressively and hitting several sixes. On the last ball of the game, Mukul maintained his composure and hit two sixes before finishing the game-winning run, as LSG needed 14 runs in the last over. In only 26 pitches, he reached his fifty and remained undefeated with 54.
Earlier, after being given the opportunity to bat first, the Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a steady but cautious start, with Mohammed Shami allowing only six runs in the first over. Finn Allen’s dismissal for nine, caught off Prince Yadav, marked the initial breakthrough.
Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi put up a composed partnership to rebuild the innings after the setback. They began cautiously before picking up speed toward the conclusion of the power play, bringing the score to 52/1 in six overs. At the midway point, KKR was at 98/1 thanks to the pair’s continued skillful rotation of the strike and punishment of poor deliveries.
Rahane was bowled out for a quick 41 by Digvesh Rathi in the 11th over, bringing an end to their 84-run partnership. Manimaran Siddharth then replaced Raghuvanshi for 45, bringing KKR within a whisker of having a solid foundation.
In the middle overs, boundaries dried up and Rinku Singh was dismissed cheaply, leading to a slowdown. But in the final overs, Rovman Powell breathed new life into the innings with his aggressive stroke play, scoring an undefeated 39 runs. Additionally, Cameron Green contributed an undefeated 32 as KKR concluded with a score of 181/4.
Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi, and Manimaran Siddharth each took one wicket for the Lucknow Super Giants.
Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 181/4 in 20 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 45, Ajinkya Rahane 41, Rovman Powell 39; Digvesh Rathi 1-25, Manimaran Siddharth 1-34)
Lucknow Super Giants 182/7 in 20 overs (Mukul Chaudhary 54*, Ayush Badoni 54; Anukul Roy 3-32, Vaibhav Arora 2-38) by 3 wickets.