Dhoni fan Mukul Choudhary hits 7 sixes, helicopter shot and vows to repay father’s loan

Mukul Choudhary has become an overnight sensation in IPL, and his story feels like something straight out of a dream.

“I have always looked up to MS Dhoni sir because I was a wicketkeeper too. I keep watching him. That helicopter shot in the 2011 World Cup is still fresh in my memory. He has always been my role model. I see myself as a finisher and I want to be like him,” Mukul had said in an earlier interview.

On April 9, he lived that dream in the most dramatic way possible.

Lucknow Super Giants were struggling at 139/7, needing 54 runs from the final four overs against Kolkata Knight Riders. The match looked all but over. But Mukul had other plans.

He played one of the most fearless knocks of the season, smashing an unbeaten 54 off just 27 balls, including seven massive sixes. With 13 needed in the final over, Mukul kept his calm, launched two sixes, and then ran a winning bye off the last ball to seal a stunning three wicket victory.

One shot in particular stood out.

Facing Vaibhav Arora on the penultimate ball, Mukul shuffled across, went down on one knee to reach a wide yorker outside off stump, and whipped it over deep cover with pure wrist power. It was a helicopter shot straight out of Dhoni’s playbook, and it instantly went viral.

Originally from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, Mukul’s journey has not been easy. When LSG signed him for ₹2.60 crore in the December 2025 auction, more than 13 times his base price, he did not think about celebrations.

He said his first priority would be to repay the loans his father had taken to support his cricket dream. His father had even sold their house to keep that dream alive.

Today, that sacrifice has come full circle.

Known as a fearless lower order finisher, Mukul had already impressed in domestic cricket, scoring 617 runs at an average of 103 in the 2025 to 26 Men’s State A Trophy, along with a T20 strike rate of over 163.

But this knock was more than just numbers.

It was about a young boy who grew up watching Dhoni, recreating his hero’s most iconic shot under pressure, and finishing a match that seemed lost.

His father must be one proud man.