KKR vs LSG

11:55 PM local time and IST: A game that will be remembered for one name - Mukul Choudhary! Ayush Badoni played his part too, and so, we have got two names from the winning side, who have managed to eclipse some really big ones, to help the visitors pick up a scintillating victory! With that, we close things off here in Kolkata. But, we will be back with the action tomorrow, as Rajasthan Royals host Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati, from 7:30 PM local time. For now, this is the duo of Pradeep and Bidipto, taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Mukul Choudhary (Player of the Match, 54* runs off 27 balls): "(On his journey) Well, when my father wasn't married it, he envisioned that his son will play cricket for India! I don't come from an upward place of course, but, I've travelled a lot, played a lot in Gurugram, and went up the ladder. (On when the signal came that cricket is the future) My father and I were confident about this line, after a performance of mine in UP. (On how many matches he played under artificial lights) This is just my second match under lights. (On whether he felt pressure) Pressure is there, always there, but, the job to do is the most important. One thing I was sure about myself, if I stay there till the end, I can win it for my team! My idea was simple, wait for the ball to be bowled in the area, and go for it. I was certain that one ball will come my way, even if I missed a couple in the last over. (On his style of play) Right from my childhood, I have only played shots, hard-hitting shots. That hasn't changed! Lots of people go to the Army from Jhunjhunu, I have come here, hope to make my place proud!" 

Rishabh Pant [Lucknow Super Giants captain]: "(On Mukul Chaudhary’s match-winning performance) We’ve seen what he’s capable of in the nets, but to deliver like that in a match is something special. It’s an incredible feeling—hard to even put into words. That was a truly outstanding effort under pressure.(On backing players from smaller backgrounds) I strongly believe that when you show trust in a player—both as a captain and as a team—it can bring out the best in them. Giving that confidence and backing allows players to express themselves and do something remarkable.(On winning back-to-back thrillers and team belief) Wins like these build character within the group. When different players step up in crunch moments, it shows something special is developing in the team. We don’t want to get carried away, but there’s definitely a strong sense that we’re building towards something good.(On Ayush Badoni’s contribution) He’s grown into a senior role within the team, and that’s the responsibility we’ve entrusted him with. Even if things don’t come off in the initial games, players like him are expected to step up in these situations—and today, he delivered exactly what was needed.(On the bowling unit and experience of Shami) Having someone like Shami brings immense value through his experience. Not every game will go perfectly, but his presence is crucial. More importantly, the entire bowling unit has been performing well and contributing as a collective."

Ajinkya Rahane [Kolkata Knight Riders captain]: "(On the narrow defeat and overall performance) It’s a tough one to take, but I’m really proud of the way the boys played. It was a great game of cricket, and sometimes these close finishes come down to small moments. Credit to Mukul—his innings was defining, and the way he played those shots under pressure was exceptional.(On the final overs and execution) I thought we were in control for most of the back end, but in the last couple of overs, a few things didn’t go our way in terms of execution. The plans we had were working, but in those final moments, the batters took their chances. Mukul, in particular, was very brave and played some outstanding shots.(On the bowling approach and conditions) The slower deliveries and pace-off options were effective throughout the innings, especially on a surface where the ball was holding up. It wasn’t easy to hit big shots, and I felt our bowlers did a really good job overall.(On areas of improvement) There were maybe a couple of small lapses in the field, but nothing major. When you lose a close game, it’s easy to look back and pick things apart, but I thought we did a lot of things right, including putting up a competitive total on a challenging pitch.(On the final over strategy) The idea was to keep the pressure on, but with fielding restrictions in place, it’s never easy for the bowler in those situations. You have to take risks, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way.(On moving forward) It’s a long tournament, and there are plenty of positives to take from this performance. We’ll regroup, learn from this, and look to come back stronger in the next game."

11:20 PM local time and IST: Lucknow Super Giants win by 3 wickets! 

Mukul Choudhary 54* (27) | Digvesh Singh Rathi - 1/25 (4)
Angkrish Raghuvanshi 45 (33) | Anukul Roy - 2/32 (4)

MUKUL CHOUDHARY! YES YOUNG MAN! YOU HAVE CHANGED THE COMPLEXION OF THIS MATCH, LIKE NO ONE ELSE COULD! YOU DESERVE ALL THE ACCOLADES! 

A win that felt like getting out of jail for Lucknow Super Giants, a heartbreak of epic proportion for Kolkata Knight Riders! 

On a surface that made the ball stop, even with some dew around, KKR were able to stop the top-heavy LSG batting line-up in their tracks. The slower balls worked, the hard length worked, the bowling chances worked too, the fielding on the whole worked.

But, what didn't work for Ajinkya Rahane and his Knights, was the execution of the plan to stop young wicketkeeper-batter Mukul Choudhary!

That knock from the right-hand bat was just something else! LSG didn't have much to talk about in their batting innings today, barring Ayush Badoni, who scored an impressive half-century. However, immediately after that, he was done for a slow, wide one from Anukul Roy!

When Mukul went out to bat, it was almost all hopes were lost for LSG! There were 5 wickets left, but, the asking rate kept going up. Two more wickets fell, and the KKR bowling was running riot at that stage.

Then came a whirlwind 54-run 8th wicket partnership, and the contribution of Avesh Khan there, was 1 run! Yes, only one run! 

So who scored the remaining 53? Mukul, of course! The stand was brought up in only 24 balls, which tells you, that Mukul was the only one to make the difference! The only one! 

Some helicopter shots, some flat-batted swats, some pull shots and some fearless cricket to finish a match, as if it were a piece of cake! Who were the bowlers taken to the cleaners? Vaibhav Arora, an IPL winner. Cameron Green, a superb all-rounder from Australia. Kartik Tyagi, a name doing the rounds in the circuit for some time and quite a express-pace bowler. 

Balls were going away, but, the runs were coming down! The sixes and fours, and the ferocity of those, were taking everyone's breath away! Eventually, it was god's plan to help LSG and him out, as Angkrish Raghuvanshi couldn't hit the stumps direct off the last ball, and the solitary run required, was pinched! 

19.6 Vaibhav Arora to Mukul Choudhary, LSG HAVE PULLED OFF AN UNBELIEVABLE HEIST HERE! From the brink of defeat to snatching victory out of nowhere—this is nothing short of extraordinary. Mukul Choudhary has announced himself in stunning fashion—a star is born! A match-winning performance for the ages, turning the game on its head single-handedly.

Banged in short outside the off-stump, Mukul misses the pull shot. But, credit to Avesh who sprinted across even before Angrish had a chance to release the ball. What a thriller we've just witnessed!

19.5 Vaibhav Arora to Mukul Choudhary, SIX MORE! Another helicopter comes out, Mukul Choudhary with a stupendous half-century! Full and wide, Mukul sits on one knee, reaches and some power that from Mukul, slices it over deep covers for another maximum. Crowd at the Eden Gardens are stunned here!

19.4 Vaibhav Arora to Mukul Choudhary, ANOTHER DOT! Brilliant from Arora, two dots in a row that. Mukul walks right across off-stump to scoop the full delivery and misses again. Arora under the pump, has bowled two dots in a row.