Mukul Choudhary Drives Lucknow Super Giants to a Nervy Second Victory of IPL 2026
For the second time this season, Lucknow Super Giants pulled through under pressure, completing a chase off the final delivery to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets. The win, built on composure under duress and a crucial late contribution from Mukul Choudhary, moves LSG further up the standings and raises serious questions about decision-making in the KKR camp.
A Target Built on Solid Foundations — and a Middle-Order Boost
Kolkata Knight Riders laid what appeared to be an imposing platform. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi gave their side a confident start, both crossing 40 before losing their wickets in quick succession. The dismissals slowed the scoring momentum considerably, but Rovman Powell and Cameron Green steadied the innings from the middle and lower order, batting through to the close and helping KKR post 181 for 4. It was a competitive total — one that, for much of the evening, looked well beyond LSG's grasp.
Chasing in the Dark: LSG's Top Order Collapses Early
Lucknow's response began poorly. Early wickets stripped away the top order and placed an enormous burden on the batters who followed. For a period, the required run rate climbed to a point where the asking nearly became unrealistic. What kept the chase alive was a partnership that absorbed the pressure and rebuilt from the wreckage — Ayush Badoni and Mukul Choudhary. Badoni's 54 gave the innings its backbone, providing just enough breathing room before he departed. That left Mukul Choudhary at the crease with the equation still unresolved: 14 runs needed off the final six deliveries.
Fourteen Runs, Six Balls, One Man Standing
What followed was the kind of finale that distils the drama of limited-overs cricket into a single over. Mukul Choudhary not only kept his nerve through that passage of play but ensured the target was reached — and Avesh Khan, stationed at the non-striker's end, became an unlikely footnote to the victory, celebrated on social media for his willingness to take a bye without hesitation. The moment encapsulated LSG's win: a collective effort carrying visible individual courage.
Rahane's Tactical Call Invites Scrutiny
Even in defeat, the loudest conversation emerging from the KKR camp centres on captaincy. Cameron Green had bowled well and had three overs remaining in his allocation when Ajinkya Rahane turned to Navdeep Saini at the critical juncture. The decision drew immediate criticism from observers, many of whom argued that Green's form and remaining quota made him the logical choice to defend the total. Whether that call ultimately proved decisive is debatable, but it has opened a broader discussion about KKR's in-game management — a conversation that will not fade quickly if results continue to disappoint.
LSG's two wins this season share a notable pattern: both have arrived in the final moments, both have required individual brilliance to compensate for collective fragility in the middle of the chase. That pattern is worth monitoring. Winning close finishes requires nerve, but building a consistent run in a long competition demands more structural reliability. For now, however, Lucknow will take the two points and the momentum that comes with them.
