Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) delivered one of the most gripping finishes of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, edging Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by three wickets in Match 15 at Eden Gardens with the chase completed off the final ball.
In a contest shaped by shifting momentum and late-innings nerve, Mukul Choudhary emerged as the defining figure, producing a breakthrough performance that transformed the match and strengthened Lucknow’s early-season momentum.
After being put in to bat, the Knight Riders started aggressively despite losing Finn Allen early to Prince Yadav. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi quickly stabilised the innings, counter-attacking with intent and building a fluent partnership that put pressure back on the visitors. The duo added 84 runs, KKR’s second-highest partnership for any wicket against the Super Giants, with Rahane contributing a composed 41 while Raghuvanshi continued his impressive start to the season with 45.
LSG fought back through disciplined middle-overs bowling. Digvesh Singh Rathi broke the stand by removing Rahane, before Manimaran Siddharth dismissed Raghuvanshi to slow Kolkata’s progress. The pressure phase between overs 11 and 15 proved particularly decisive, with the visitors conceding just 17 runs while picking up three wickets, including the dismissal of Rinku Singh at a crucial moment.
Cameron Green and Rovman Powell rebuilt cautiously before accelerating at the death, combining for a valuable half-century stand that lifted Kolkata to 181 for 4. Their late momentum ensured KKR finished with a competitive total that appeared defendable on a surface offering some assistance to bowlers who varied their pace effectively.
Lucknow’s chase began at pace, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram continuing their strong form at the top of the order. The pair raced to 41 in the first four overs, signalling attacking intent before Vaibhav Arora delivered a pivotal double breakthrough, removing both openers within three deliveries to bring the host firmly back into the contest.
Further setbacks followed for LSG as Cameron Green dismissed Rishabh Pant and Kartik Tyagi removed Nicholas Pooran, tightening Kolkata’s grip on the match. Wickets fell at regular intervals, but Ayush Badoni provided stability amid the pressure, compiling a composed half-century from 33 balls. The innings marked his seventh score of 50 or more while batting at No.4 or lower for Lucknow, the most by any batter for the franchise, while also making him the third player to reach 1,000 runs for the team.
With Kolkata appearing to have regained control heading into the final overs, Mukul Choudhary shifted the narrative dramatically. Displaying composure well beyond his experience, the wicketkeeper-batter struck an unbeaten 54 from 27 deliveries, including seven sixes, to take the contest deep and ultimately seal victory on the final ball. His match-winning partnership of 54 with Avesh Khan became the highest stand for the eighth wicket or lower in a successful IPL chase.
Choudhary’s seven sixes are the most by a Lucknow batter while batting at No.7 or below, and also the joint-most by any player in that position during a successful run chase in IPL history. The result marked Lucknow’s fifth win in seven head-to-head meetings against Kolkata, including three victories in four matches at Eden Gardens. It also represented Lucknow’s second last-ball win while chasing, following their one-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023 when pursuing a target of 213.
The result lifts LSG in the points table and reinforces the franchise’s growing depth, particularly through contributions from uncapped Indian players capable of influencing high-pressure moments. For Kolkata Knight Riders, the defeat will prompt reflection on closing out matches after controlling significant phases of the game.
The last-ball finish at Eden Gardens adds another dramatic chapter to the IPL’s reputation for producing high-intensity contests, with Mukul Choudhary’s breakthrough innings emerging as one of the standout individual performances of the 2026 season so far.
Scorecard:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 181/4, Overs 20, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 45, Digvesh Singh Rathi 1/25
Lucknow Super Giants: 182/7, Overs 20, Mukul Choudhary 54*, Anukul Roy 2/32
