Mukul Choudhary: 36 sixes in an innings, 500 km bus rides, an MS Dhoni dream
Mukul Choudhary’s 27-ball 57 at Eden Gardens was years in the making - from 500-km bus rides across Rajasthan to practicing on red-soil and once smashing 36 sixes in an innings. Inspired by MS Dhoni, the 21-year-old is making a mark with his hitting ability and team-first mindset.
NEW DELHI: Calm under pressure and fearless at the death, Mukul Choudhary lit up Eden Gardens with a 27-ball 57, launching seven sixes to script a remarkable last-over win for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday. The emotions were written all over the 21-year-old from Jhunjhunu’s face as he struck the winning runs - holding his nerve, battling anxiety, negotiating yorkers in the final over from Vaibhav Arora, waiting for the right ball to send over the ropes, and then raising both arms in celebration before his teammates sprinted in from the dugout to mob him. That six-hitting IPL night, however, is backed by an even bigger story of preparation.
This wasn’t the first time the youngster from Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan had taken bowlers apart. Long before making headlines in the IPL, he had already smashed an incredible 36 sixes in an innings. 36 SIXES IN AN INNINGS In Sikar (Jhunjhunu), where Mukul trains, he practices on black soil.
Adjusting to red-soil wickets, however, became a major challenge. That’s when he turned to his Under-23 batting coach Chandrapal Singh. In Rajasthan, red-soil pitches are found in Udaipur and Nathdwara.
The distance was daunting, but an adamant Mukul embraced the challenge. Packing his kit at night, he would board a bus to Udaipur (in Rajasthan) - and sometimes Nathdwara (in Rajasthan) - both nearly 500 km from Jhunjhunu. "Mukul is extremely hardworking.
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