Thala effect? Mukul’s finishing act turns heads

Kolkata: 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).

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

“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. Everyday 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.” 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.”