Dhoni-inspired Mukul rises to be a match-winner

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; 2x4, 7x6).

Behind that composure lies relentless preparation of hitting close to 150 sixes every day.

“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.

Every day 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.”

‘Scariest finisher’ tag: 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.