Lucknow Super Giants greenhorn batter Mukul Choudhary hogged the limelight when he took his team to a thrilling three-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday. Choudhary revealed he was inspired by how former Indian captain MS Dhoni finished games. The right-hander scored a match-winning knock of 54 runs off just 27 balls in the run-chase of 182.

The 21-year-old smashed two fours and seven sixes, including a Dhoni-esque helicopter shot. Choudhary made use of his strong wrists and cleared the long-on boundary with ease.

Choudhary said in the post-match press conference, “I used to watch how MS Dhoni would finish games,” Mukul said. “I bat at the same number. He inspired me early in my career, I finished the game and would dedicate it to him”.

Meanwhile, the youngster revealed he used to overthink about his batting but a candid chat with LSG skipper Rishabh Pant helped him ease out the pressure.

“I used to rush myself a couple of years ago, but now I have practiced playing long, taking the game deep and winning it. Even in the last two games, I played only four-five balls, I didn’t get out, but I was not able to hit.

“Pant told me (in the bus on the way): ‘Why are you thinking so much: I’ll do this, I’ll do that. Don’t. Just follow the process you have been working on. If you think, you’ll put a lot of pressure. See the ball like you do and hit it. We have belief in you, now have that in yourself.”

Leading up to this IPL, head coach Justin Langer had made a strong claim: “If he’s willing, in the next four months, I am going to turn him into the scariest No.6-7 batter in India”.

When reminded about the comment, Mukul said: “If such a renowned coach says that about you, he has definitely seen something. They showed faith in me, so it was on me to repay it. He (Langer) would separately work on me daily for 10-20 minutes.”

LSG will next take on the Gujarat Titans at Lucknow on Sunday.