'He's hungry': LSG head coach Justin Langer hails Mukul Choudhary
What's the story
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer has hailed Mukul Choudhary's match-winning innings against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a "massive moment" in the young batter's life and career. The statement came after Choudhary's explosive display of six-hitting helped LSG secure a thrilling last-ball victory over KKR in the ongoing IPL 2026. "He's so young, and he's got that look in his eyes, he's hungry," Langer said after the game.
Match analysis
Choudhary's match-winning knock
Choudhary's innings was a perfect mix of brute force and smart cricket. He started off slow but then went on to score 54* runs in just 27 balls, hitting seven massive sixes along the way. The young batter brought down the target from 30 off two overs to a more manageable 14 off six balls with his explosive batting against Cameron Green in the penultimate over.
Last-minute win
Choudhary's thoughts after the match
In the final over, Choudhary hit two sixes off Vaibhav Arora and ran a bye to seal a famous win for LSG. This came after the team was struggling at 128/7 in their chase of 182. "My plan was to play till the end, and I believe in myself that much that I knew if I batted till the end, I could make the team win. If it is in my area, I smash it," he said after the match.
Coach's insight
Coach praises batter's dedication
Langer also praised Choudhary for his dedication to improving his game. "He's got a very curious mind, he wants to get better," he said. The coach was particularly impressed with how Choudhary had worked on his short-ball technique in practice sessions. "We've been doing drills every day with him, and then it came out in practice today," Langer added.
Team progress
LSG on a roll
After losing their opening match, LSG have now won two consecutive games. "If you win the close ones, you get that little bit of belief, don't you?" Langer said. And it doesn't matter whether you do it with the ball, whether you're able to pull back a team or have a tight win like that.