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Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batters Mukul Choudhary and Ayush Badoni after their match-winning show against Kolkata Knight Riders, calling them “fearless prodigies”.
LSG pulled off a thrilling three-wicket win over KKR on the final ball at Eden Gardens. While it was a team effort, Choudhary and Badoni stood out for the way they handled pressure in a tense chase.
Sunil Gavaskar on Mukul Choudhary
KKR had posted 181/4. LSG made a steady start as Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh added 41 runs quickly. But things changed when Vaibhav Arora struck twice in quick succession, first removing Markram and then Marsh. Ayush Badoni then played a key knock of 54 off 34 balls, hitting seven boundaries and two sixes. At the other end, Mukul Choudhary was even more aggressive, smashing an unbeaten 54 off just 27 balls to finish the chase for LSG.
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“Unbelievable innings by this fearless prodigy, Mukul Choudhary. What I love about the IPL is that every day we get to see something different. We saw David Miller of Delhi Capitals play a fantastic knock and almost help his team get over the line against Gujarat Titans in the previous match, but that knock was played by a renowned World Cup star," Gavaskar said on JioStar.
"Here, it is Mukul Choudhary, who stepped up and helped his side cross the finish line. This guy is a young kid who bats at number five for Rajasthan in domestic T20 cricket. He just comes into the IPL, plays an unbelievable innings and makes everyone talk about him.
"The confidence he showed and the way he executed his shots was simply amazing to watch. At the stage of the innings where he came in to bat, he showed calmness, took his time, settled down properly and began hitting the balls out of the ground.
"He even played the helicopter shot, which MS Dhoni would have been very nostalgic seeing. He turned down easy singles because he trusted his ability to hit big shots and finish the game. That was simply amazing to watch.”
Sunil Gavaskar on Ayush Badoni
Gavaskar also highlighted Badoni’s knock, saying it was very important for LSG’s win.
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"Ayush Badoni’s knock of 54 runs is highly underrated. This knock is what helped LSG keep believing. He is a very good all-around cricketer. He can bowl a bit and is a very good fielder. But he has been used as an impact sub this season. For him to come in and start timing the ball the way he did was just splendid to watch.
"Yes, he got stuck a bit because Sunil Narine was going through a beautiful spell. But when he played against the seamers, he looked in great touch and kept hammering them to all parts of the ground. Immediately after he brought up his half-century, he got dismissed. That must have been a worrying sign for LSG.
"But you have to give credit to Ayush Badoni. He has been playing for them for a while. He is captaining Delhi in domestic cricket. So, all that maturity is coming to the fore. From an LSG point of view, you want such players in your line-up.
"At the end of the day, your top four or five batters are your seasoned international players. Then come these fearless prodigies, who are supposed to make the difference. They are the ones who have to show up in the finishing part of the match," he said.
LSG now return to Lucknow, aiming for a third straight win when they face Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday.
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