Mukul Choudhary’s late surge propelled Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a thrilling three-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Sunday in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match. Chasing a competitive total of 182, LSG reached 182 for 7 with Choudhary finishing an unbeaten 54, including seven sixes, to secure the win off the final ball.

Kolkata posted 181 for 4 after electing to bat first. The innings was anchored by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who scored 45, and Ajinkya Rahane, contributing 41, while Rowman Powell’s unbeaten 39 helped steady the innings following a mid-innings lull. Cameron Green, KKR’s most expensive acquisition this season at Rs 25.2 crore, provided a late boost with an unbeaten 32. The pair added a 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket after KKR recovered from early setbacks.

LSG started strongly with openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram putting on 41 runs before Vaibhav Arora dismissed them both in quick succession in the fifth over. The KKR bowling unit then tightened the grip, reducing LSG to 128 for 7 by the 16th over, despite a fluent 54 from Ayush Badoni. It was at this juncture that Choudhary, playing only his third IPL match and his second under floodlights, took control with a display of powerful hitting, scoring 52 runs off 19 balls.

Choudhary’s late onslaught included numerous sixes in the final four overs, turning a precarious situation into a dramatic finish. With a single required from the last delivery, Choudhary and Avesh Khan scrambled for a bye off Arora’s bowling to clinch the victory.

LSG captain Rishabh Pant praised Choudhary’s composure and impact, highlighting the young batsman’s self-belief and the growing confidence within the squad. Pant also acknowledged contributions from senior players like Badoni and the value of Mohammed Shami’s experience in the bowling unit.

For KKR, early dismissal of opener Finn Allen by Prince Yadav and disciplined bowling from Shami and Arora put pressure on the hosts during the initial overs. Despite the middle-order recovery, the team was unable to defend the total in the face of a resilient LSG chase.

Bowling figures for the night saw Sunil Roy and Arora both taking two wickets for KKR, while Digvesh Rathi claimed Rahane’s wicket for LSG.

The result leaves KKR still seeking their first victory of the IPL season, while LSG secured a valuable win in a tightly contested encounter.