New Delhi, April 10 (NationPress) After becoming a standout player in the IPL by scoring an impressive unbeaten 54 to lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a thrilling three-wicket victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), wicketkeeper-batter Mukul Choudhary has shared a heartfelt revelation about his father's sacrifices. He disclosed that his father abandoned his pursuit of the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) to ensure that Mukul could pursue his dream of becoming a cricketer.

During the match at Eden Gardens, Choudhary delivered a remarkable performance, achieving 54 runs off just 27 balls, which included seven sixes and two fours. This stellar performance was crucial in steering LSG back from a precarious position of 128/7. Notably, Choudhary had previously executed a similar astounding chase for Rajasthan against Delhi in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

“It was my father's dream to see someone from our family play cricket at a professional level. Coming from a financially challenged background, he had always hoped for a way to support a cricket career. Cricket was his passion, but due to our family's economic situation, he couldn't pursue it himself.

“He had decided well before my birth that if he had a son, he would ensure I played cricket. In my early years, our family's financial stability was precarious, making it impossible for him to enroll me in a cricket academy.

“At that time, he was also teaching at a college while preparing for the RAS. He ultimately realized that he had to choose between his own RAS preparation and my cricket aspirations.

“So, he decided to forgo his RAS preparation, engaged in some property work, and saved enough money to enroll me in the SBS Cricket Academy in Sikar city when I was 12 years old,” Choudhary explained during an interview with JioHotstar.

Now training at the Aravali Cricket Club in Jaipur, Choudhary spoke about the challenges in finding suitable training facilities in a region with limited cricketing infrastructure.

“The challenge was that I had no prior knowledge of cricket before stepping onto the professional stage. My family had no cricketing background, and there were no local players to guide me.

“I recall on my birthday in 2015, my father and I set out to find a cricket academy. We explored three nearby districts: Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar. At that time, the SBS Cricket Academy had just opened, and we felt it was the right place to start my cricket journey because of the passion and dedication of its founders,” he elaborated.

Looking forward to his upcoming matches in IPL 2026, where LSG is set to face off against the Gujarat Titans in Lucknow on Sunday, Choudhary expressed his ambition to close matches just like former India captain MS Dhoni.

“I have always admired MS Dhoni because I see myself as a finisher like him. His iconic helicopter shot is my favorite, and the way he led India to victory in the 2011 World Cup is unforgettable. I aspire to emulate him and help my team secure wins,” he stated.