New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has showered rich praise on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) young batting sensation Mukul Choudhary, adding that his finishing prowess and flick shots to give the side a three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were akin to the batting style of the legendary MS Dhoni.

At Eden Gardens, Choudhary smashed an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls, laced with seven sixes and two fours, and helped LSG get a win on the last ball. “It’s incredible to see the awareness to take the game through. The power from the young man, unbelievable batting.

“What a game of cricket, with lots of ebbs and flows, and stealing it towards the end. Some of the shots reminded me of watching MS Dhoni back in the day, especially those flick shots, so much power,” said du Plessis on JioHotstar.

While LSG found a new hero in the inexperienced but talented Choudhary, Du Plessis pointed out that three-time champions KKR are currently struggling to find the ‘rub of the green’ in their favour.

“You get little moments in the season where it can almost be defined, and you look back and think, ‘If that had just gone our way, the season would have looked a lot different.’ This is one of those moments for LSG, finishing the game and getting across the line when they shouldn’t have, with a player who is inexperienced but has the pedigree to take the game through. On the other side, KKR will feel that the rub of the green is not going their way.

KKR, who are yet to win a game in IPL 2026, find themselves in a precarious position. “They are a team that has now had three losses and one rained-off game, those 50-50 moments are just not falling in their favour. I think back to the first ball of the last over, when an easy single was on offer for Avesh. Those are the kinds of things you have to make sure you are switched on for as a team if you want to get across the line,” concluded du Plessis.

–IANS

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