IPL 2026 Play Of The Day: Mukul Choudhary summons Dhoni's helicopter to blow KKR away

IPL 2026: On a thrilling night at the Eden, the helicopter shot once again made its reappearance, this time with a new pilot at the helm in Mukul Choudhary. A fan of MS Dhoni, Mukul channeled his idol perfectly to pull off a heist against KKR.

In Short

• Mukul scored 54 off 27 balls to win the game for LSG
• The LSG youngster mastered the chase in the last four overs like Dhoni
• Mukul keeps Dhoni as his cricketing idol

There are cricket shots, and then there are those which define a player. MS Dhoni’s helicopter shot sits right there.

First seen during that 2006 ODI series against England cricket team, it did not look textbook, and that was the whole point. It came with a bit of edge to it. Almost like Dhoni was saying, miss your yorker by an inch and it is going the distance anyway. Bowlers kept trying, and Dhoni kept whipping them away. Over time, it just became part of who he was at the crease, especially in chases.

Years later, that shot still carries his stamp. Others have tried, a few have come close, but no one really owns it the way Dhoni does.

Which is why, when it showed up again at Eden Gardens, you could sense a familiar roar and amazement in the crowd.

This time, it was Mukul Choudhary.

KKR vs LSG: Highlights | Scorecard

With Lucknow Super Giants falling behind in the chase against Kolkata Knight Riders, the game was drifting. Vaibhav Arora went full at the stumps, but Mukul was ready. The wrists came through, the bat followed, and suddenly that familiar swing was back. Not just a shot, more like a signal.

And then it just kept coming.

Six more sixes.

From nowhere, the chase flipped. What looked like a slow fade turned into a proper finish, the kind where you do not leave anything for later. LSG got over the line, and Mukul had pretty much dragged them there.

The nice bit is, it was not random.

He has grown up watching Dhoni, picking up things, holding on to those visuals.

“I have always looked up to MS Dhoni because I am a wicketkeeper myself. I’ve always watched him closely. That helicopter shot of his from the 2011 World Cup is something I still remember from my childhood. Those memories stay with you forever. He has always been my role model. I am a finisher too, and I want to become like him — someone who finishes games. That’s why he is my role model,” said Mukul to ESPN Cricinfo.

Against KKR, for a few overs, Mukul played it exactly like Thala.

There were many other moments which could have made our Play Of The Day segment after the Eden thriller. You had KKR's issues in the middle overs and struggle to find momentum during that time as one. LSG were sensational on the field and their bowling in the second half was impressive.

A special mention also to Sunil Narine, who almost changed the game with his stunning spell. But the day truly belonged to the 21-year-old Mukul Choudhary from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

MUKUL CHANNELS MS DHONI

And it wasn’t just the helicopter that made the throwback feel complete.

Mukul Choudhary has often spoken about looking up to MS Dhoni, and it goes beyond cricket too, with that shared pull towards the armed forces. But at Eden Gardens, it was the finishing that stood out.

The last four overs belonged in its entirety to the 21-year-old.

There wasn’t much left around him. The batters were gone, the tail was in, and Avesh Khan was at the other end. Usually at this point, many would have already assumed that Mukul was fighting a losing battle.

But we have seen such scenarios multiple times when it was his idol at the crease.

Go back to the third ODI between India and Australia in 2013 when MS Dhoni scored 139 runs and powered India from 154 for six to 303 with the support of bowlers. Sure, Ashwin was an all-rounder back then as well, but the pressure meant that Dhoni had to take on the bulk of the scoring.

The vibes were uncannily similar on April 9 in Kolkata.

Against KKR, Mukul kept it simple. It was a script that simply involved bashing the ball and ensuring it went past the boundary at every point.

Once he got going, the game was his to finish.

He kept most of the strike, got the runs ticking, but did not try to do everything alone.

Mukul Choudhary knew when to take over and when to trust Avesh Khan.

It is something you often saw with MS Dhoni at his peak. He would control the chase, but also make sure the man at the other end felt part of it. Go back to 2017 against Sri Lanka. India were 131 for 7 chasing 231, and Dhoni stitched it together with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, even guiding him to a fifty while closing out the game.

That same calm showed up at Eden Gardens.

Mukul was not hesitant to give Avesh the strike when needed, and trusted him to do the job, which was not to lose his wicket and ensure he didn't do anything foolish.

Avesh has been around enough tight finishes in the IPL, but it still takes awareness from the set batter to trust the other end.

And that is what made this knock stand out.

Not just the hitting, but the thinking.

The helicopter is well and truly away from Mukul and LSG, and we may see a new finisher emerge in the IPL.

Just like how a young Dhoni did by hitting James Anderson for a six with the world-famous helicopter shot.

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