IPL Dispatch: LSG Find New Hero In Mukul Choudhary; Digvesh Rathi's Controversial Catch Puts Third Umpire Under Scanner

Indian Premier League 2026 witnessed consecutive thrillers as the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants match on Thursday (April 9) got decided on the last ball. It was a complete roller coaster ride for the fans as Lucknow Super Giants turned around from kneeling down to the KKR spinners to the finding the horizons of victory. They found a new hero, a star in the making, in Mukul Choudhary.

The end result of the last ball had an eerie similarity to the Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans match. Only this time, Mukul Choudhary was able to complete the run and Angkrish Raghuvanshi missed the stumps from behind. Avesh Khan, who ran towards the striker's end, celebrated. reminding fans of his iconic role as non-striker against RCB in 2023 and against KKR in 2024.

But the euphoria was still away for the Lucknow Super Giants when the match entered the 17th over. LSG needed 55 runs in 4 overs with only three wickets in hand. They were down to their last reserves of batting with 21-year-old Mukul Choudhary on one end and Avesh Khan on another.

The veteran legend of KKR, Sunil Narine, had just finished his spell, scalping the wicket of Mohammed Shami in the last over. The chase never went for LSG as they planned. A target of mere 182 seemed like a mountain in front of them.

How did they get into that hole? The bowling went according to the plan. Digvesh Rathi and Manimaran Siddharth did enough to keep KKR quiet in the 11-15 overs phase. Although Rovman Powell and Cameron Green picked up pace in the back end, LSG were still confident the slowdown in the middle kept the run in the chasable range. Then how did things went so bad?

It was due to how the KKR bowlers utilised bowling into the surface. The pitch had grip and Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran all fell to short balls into the wicket. Anukul Roy and Sunil Narine doubled down with the spin choke and LSG's chase went nowhere. The asking rate went through the roof and their scoring rate nosedived.

It was then, Mukul Choudhary arrived. The first glimpse of his blitzkrieg was when he landed a helicopter shot to Vaibhav Arora in the 17th over. In next over, he muscled a slower bouncer outside off over the cover point boundary. Bowler Kartik Tyagi was left stunned.

When he finished taking 16 runs from the penultimate over of Cameron Green, LSG needed 14 off the last over. From a position where no one gave them the chance, they had the finishing line within sight.

Avesh Khan rotated the strike in the first ball and the next ball from Vaibhav Arora found itself in the stands. Mukul was on fire. But Vaibhav refused to give up and his next two balls, wide yorkers from round the wicket, kept Mukul quiet. There was still two balls to go and Mukul needed one hit to level scores.

It came in the penultimate ball and it was the shot of the night. Another wide yorker, just a little off mark and Mukul was able to get under. His stretched hands gave a little flick to it and the ball flew over the cover boundary. Scores were level.

The rest was the rise of new star for LSG. Once again, Lucknow Super Giants pull of an absolute heist from being in no position to win the game. The reactions of Rishabh Pant and co from the dugout told the story.

The crowd in Eden Gardens was left stunned but the iconic stadium flashed in the brilliance of the new youngster it discovered today.

Also Read: KKR vs LSG IPL 2026 Highlights

Let us stroll through some of the other major talking points around IPL 2026 in the last 24 hours.

Digvesh Rathi's Catch Sparks Controversy

The match kicked off with a controversial catch by Digvesh Rathi. In the second over of the KKR innings, Prince Yadav bowled a back of length delivery on the off-stump and Finn Allen slashed at it hard.

There was movement on offer from the surface and the ball took a top edge to fly to the third man fielder on the boundary line. Digvesh Rathi, who was stationed there, misjudged it initially but adjusted and grabbed the ball. While trying to balance himself, his feet got dangerously close to the boundary skirting.

The umpire didn't refer it to the third umpire. Instead they adjudged it as out immediately. Although replays shows that it was much closer than it initially felt and Digvesh's feet might have brushed the boundary skirting.

Commentator Faf du Plessis questioned why umpire didn't take more time to judge it or send it upstairs. Meanwhile, the social media was flooded with experts and fans pointing out that the dismissal needed further review.

The match also saw a moment of fun during the KKR batting. Ajinkya Rahane, trying to pick up a ball from Avesh Khan on the off-side, let go of his bat and it flew to the square leg.

Rahane loosened his bottom hand in the last second to give direction to ball and it was at that moment that the bat slipped from his grip. Although the bat went flying, so did the ball over the backward point boundary. A unique six!

Photo Of The Day

It is not possible that Rishabh Pant will be on the outfield and he will not try to pull off an act which fans don't see often on the cricket field.

This time, he decided to show his football skills. Standing behind the wickets, he failed to collect a ball cleanly and as the ball dropped, he tricked to kick it up with his feet and then catch. He juggled it for a couple of times but failed to bring it up.

Pant, with all his energy on the field, was able to give the fans a moment of laughter amid some intense action.

Cameron Green Rolls His Arms, End Of Road For Wanindu Hasaranga

On March 29, after the MI vs KKR match, a statement from Ajinkya Rahane made waves. On being asked, why Cameron Green didn't bowl, he told media to ask Cricket Australia (CA). CA latter clarified their position on why Green has not been bowling as they were managing his workload. They gave a timeline of 10-12 days before he can start bowling again.

Green finally rolled his arms in the IPL 2026 for the first time against LSG.

There were reports that Green has started to bowl in the KKR nets and hopes boosted further when he marked his run up ahead of the match. He was finally introduced in the attack in the 9th over and he immediately made impact by scalping the wicket of Nicholas Pooran.

Green was purchasing steep bounce off the deck and his slower bouncer were sticking on the surface. His pace was up too. Ended up with figures of 1/28 in two overs. He was expensive, but going forward into the season, Rahane will need his services.

Amid all the celebrations, a bad news waited for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as well. Director of Cricket Tom Moody confirmed during a conversation with the commentators that Wanindu Hasaranga will not join the team this season and that he has been ruled out.

LSG are expected to announce the replacement of Hasaranga on April 10, Friday.

Quote Of The Day

Caribbean all-rounder Rovman Powell attended the post match press-conference for KKR and he was candid while reacting to the controversy caused by Digvesh Rathi's catch.

"We had a talk about that when he came off. We thought—we have seen in the IPL, the umpires have gone upstairs for lesser things than that, or not as close as that. And maybe it was a blunder on their part, but we're not going to look into that and say that is what cost us two points tonight".

Elsewhere

Displaying clinical performance at the National Stadium in Karachi, Peshawar Zalmi handed Karachi Kings their first defeat of the PSL 2026 season with a dominant 159-run victory. After being put in to bat, Zalmi posted a monumental 246/3, fueled by a historic performance from Kusal Mendis.

The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter smashed a breathtaking 109 off 52 balls, becoming the first from his nation to score a PSL century. He was expertly supported by captain Babar Azam, who anchored the innings with a steady 87 off 51 deliveries, while Abdul Samad’s late-over blitz added the finishing touches.

The Karachi Kings’ chase never found its rhythm under the scoreboard pressure. They lost captain David Warner for a golden duck in the second over and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. They were bowled out for only 87 with Sufiyan Muqeem and Nahid Rana bagging three-wicket hauls.

Earlier, Islamabad United delivered a dominant all-round performance to thrash the defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, by nine wickets in Match 16 of PSL 2026 at the National Stadium. After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Islamabad’s attack—led by Player of the Match Chris Green (3/19)—strangled the Qalandars' batting lineup, bowling them out for a meager 100 in 18.3 overs.

Apart from a brief resistance from Sikandar Raza (25), Lahore struggled against the spin trio of Green, Imad Wasim (2/13), and Shadab Khan (2/18).

The chase was a mere formality as Devon Conway smashed an unbeaten 59 off 35 balls, including a 22-run assault in a single over, to guide Islamabad to the target in just 10.2 overs. Supported by unbeaten Mohammad Faiq (34), Conway ensured the win was completed with 58 balls to spare, significantly boosting United’s net run rate while leaving Lahore to reflect on a heavy defeat.