Who is Mukul Choudhary? 5 interesting facts about LSG's ₹ 2.6 crore signing at IPL 2026 Auction

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made headlines during the IPL 2026 auction with the signing of three uncapped Indian players for ₹1 crore or more. Rajasthan wicketkeeper batter Mukul Choudhary was the biggest buy of the lot for a whopping ₹2.6 crore.

The 21-year-old will add much-needed Indian firepower to LSG's batting, which relied heavily on overseas stars Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and David Miller a season ago. Given the recent successes of uncapped Indian players in the IPL, it should come as no surprise if Mukul immediately gets the nod for a spot in LSG's playing 11 in the 2026 season.

With that in mind, the youngster has generated much interest in his cricket and other things among Indian fans.

Here, we look at five interesting facts about LSG's big multi-crore signing in the IPL 2026 auction, Mukul Choudhary.

#1 Father's unrelenting dream

It is not often that the father of a future cricketer is driven to make his son one from a young age. However, in Mukul Choudhary's case, his father, Dalip Kumar Choudhary, being a die-hard fan of the sport, wanted his son to become a cricketer even before his birth.

"I have heard stories from my mother that my father was so obsessed with cricket that even before I was born, he wanted his son to be a cricketer. But it wasn’t easy for us to pursue the sport initially, given the financial challenges. But my father did go out of his way to ensure that I got everything needed to be a cricketer," said Mukul in an interview with Sportstar.

Mukul's father was a teacher in a small town of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan before entering the real estate and hotel business with the sole intention of ensuring his son became a cricketer.

#2 Mukul Choudhary's unique path to becoming a wicketkeeper

Like several Indian cricketers of the past and present, wicketkeeping wasn't Mukul Choudhary's first calling. The 21-year-old was originally a medium-fast bowler but transformed into a gloveman due to necessity over preference.

His academy was incidentally short of a wicketkeeper during one of their games, forcing Mukul to don the gloves, following which there was no looking back.

"That’s how I took up wicketkeeping, and there hasn’t been any looking back since," said Mukul in the same Sportstar interview.

Like most modern-day Indian wicketkeepers, Mukul idolizes the legendary MS Dhoni, India's most successful gloveman and captain.

#3 A torrid beginning in the domestic circuit

All was not well for Mukul Choudhary at the start of his domestic career for Rajasthan. In his debut game for the state side in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, the right-hander scored only a nine-ball two.

While he played no further part that first-class season, his red-ball numbers remain sub-par, averaging under 13 in three matches. Mukul enjoyed a better T20 debut for Rajasthan with a 33-ball 35, before scoring only two in the next game, to complete the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) with an average of under 19 and a strike rate of 92.50.

#4 2025-26 SMAT final over heroics

Mukul Choudhary displayed his ability to come up clutch in the recent 2025-26 SMAT. With Rajasthan gunning for a spot in the Super League, the youngster smashed a brilliant 26-ball 62* against Delhi, helping his side successfully chase down 177.

Rajasthan required an improbable 25 runs off the final over, but Mukul held his nerves to pull off the miracle. The gloveman smoked five maximums off his future LSG teammate, Ayush Badoni, including one with Rajasthan needing five off the final ball.

Mukul enjoyed an impressive overall 2025-26 SMAT campaign despite predominantly batting in the middle order. He finished with 173 runs at an average of 57.66 and a strike rate of 198.85 in five matches.

#5 Redemption through the Under-23 route

Mukul Choudhary struggled at the start of his domestic career in his maiden season in 2023. However, he came into prominence through his incredible performances in the recent Under-23 State A Trophy.

The youngster led all scorers in the tournament with a remarkable 617 runs at an average of 102.83 and a strike rate of 142.49, including two centuries, in nine matches. His heroics helped the Rajasthan Under-23 side finish on top of Group C with six wins in seven games.

Mukul became a regular in the senior Rajasthan side for the 2025-26 SMAT through his performances in the Under-23 ranks, which eventually helped the youngster gain a lucrative IPL contract.

Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran