Kolkata: Mukal Chowdhury wanted to become a cricketer even before she got pregnant. His father Dileep, himself a big fan of cricket, had decided even before the wedding that if he had a son, he would make him a cricketer. On Thursday, Muckle played the kind of knock that could carry over. IPL The cricketer rose to stardom overnight, in the process, he also fulfilled his father’s long-held dreams.Chasing 182 to win, Lucknow Supergiants collapsed to 128/7 in the 16th over. It was then that Muckle decided to stamp his presence on the big stage. “When Ayushbhai (Badoni) got out, I knew I was the one who needed to do it. I wanted to bring the game close and wasn’t thinking about winning or losing,” he said.
The 21-year-old hit seven sixes for a wicket that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane described as “not easy” to “play big shots”. And Mukul was not used to playing in the lights. “This is my second match in the light,” he admitted after his third IPL match.But then again, Muckle has been hitting these big guys every day for years. “My body has a bit more natural power, but I practice hitting 100 to 150 sixes a day. If you practice regularly, it develops. Especially in the last five-six months, I have been working on it a lot, so now it is ready,” Muckle said.
“I faced a similar situation in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, where Rajasthan needed 25 off the last over and five off the last ball. Ayushbhai was bowling. I’ve had this happen before, so I was confident today,” he added, inspired by his unbeaten 62 against Delhi this season. He also scored 54 runs against Mumbai, batting at a strike rate of around 199 in the tournament after being the top scorer in the CK Naidu Trophy (U-23) with 617 runs.‘Influenced by Dhoni’Born in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, the Chaudhary family moved to Jaipur, where he joined the Aravali Coaching Centre. It was here that the young Muckle first donned the wicket-keeping gloves, turning away from his original ambition of becoming a bowler. His inspiration Mahendra Singh Dhonicoincidentally sacrificed his goalkeeping role at school. “I bat at the same number. He influenced me early in my career,” Mikkel, who was drafted into the Rajasthan Ranji squad at the age of 18 and made his T20 debut a year later, said of Dhoni.Apart from his power-hitting ability, what stood out in Muckle’s 27-ball unbeaten 54 was the calm and confident manner he moved about. “Rishabh Pant (LSG captain) said to me ‘Why are you thinking so much?‘I’ll do it, I’ll do it.’ don’t think Just follow the process you’re working on,” Muckle said. “Even if one is playing his 15th or 50th match, the situation will create pressure,” he said. I focus on opportunity, not pressure.Head Coach of LSG Justin Langer Must smile big. The Australian estimated this day after working on it separately for 10-20 minutes each day. “If he (Mukul) is willing, in the next four months, I am going to turn him into India’s most feared No. 6 or No. 7 batsman,” he said before the season.
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Muckle remembers Langer’s words. “They put their trust in me, so it was up to me to repay that,” he said.
