Mukul Choudhary grew up watching MS Dhoni finish games, dreaming of doing the same one day. At Eden Gardens on Thursday night, the 21-year-old rookie batter from Rajasthan turned that dream into reality with a stunning six-hitting display, helping Lucknow Super Giants secure a three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a last-ball thriller. “I dedicate this to my father. Even before he got married, he always dreamt of making his son a cricketer. I also always watch MS (Dhoni) sir, the way he finishes. I also play at the same number, so I dedicate this to him,” Mukul said after his heroics (54 not out from 27 balls; 2×4, 7×6).
Behind that composure lies relentless preparation of hitting close to 150 sixes everyday.
“My genes are such and I am naturally built in a way that there is power in my shots, and also I do practice a lot. Everyday I hit around 100-150 sixes. For the last five-six months, I’ve been practising a lot and that has come into me,” he revealed.
He also spoke about his Dhoni-like ‘helicopter shot’, which he used to hit Vaibhav Arora for a six in the 17th over.
“I have practised that shot since childhood… I always liked that, and the way Dhoni finished (an inning). He used to hit a six even off a yorker. If you even hit that kind of a delivery for six, the bowler thinks about doing something different.”
That six-hitting ability, combined with belief, has already caught the eye of LSG coach Justin Langer who had famously earlier said he could turn Mukul into one of India’s “scariest” middle-order batters.
It was on display against a depleted KKR bowling attack on Thursday, when he turned the match around, taking the score from 128/7 in 16 overs to 54 runs off the last four overs.
“If such a great coach says something about you, he must have seen something in you. He showed me his belief and I wanted to do it,” continued Mukul.
“He made me practice as well. He made me work with him for 10-15 minutes every day. He made me understand everything and that is my job. I did my job and he showed me his trust.”
