New Delhi [India], March 28 : Following the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa applauded left-hand batter Nicholas Pooran's batting performance.
Pooran continued to deal in maximums and has notched up 13 in just two games for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The 29-year-old unleashed a relentless onslaught on Sunrisers Hyderabad with his rollicking 70 off a mere 26 deliveries to assist LSG in comfortably chasing down the 191-run target and sealing a five-wicket win with a handful of overs to spare.
Pooran gave a sneak peek into the approach he adopts.
"He was simply playing the merit of the ball. His approach is such that if the delivery is in his preferred regions, he backs himself to go for it--no second-guessing. That's exactly what he did today. Against spinners, especially left-arm and leg spinners, he positions himself to capitalize on any loose deliveries. When you take on someone like Adam Zampa in his first over and smash him for 19 runs, you're sending a clear message: 'I'm unstoppable.' And that's exactly what Pooran demonstrated today--pure dominance. Scoring 17 boundaries off his 26 deliveries is power-hitting of the highest order," JioStar expert Robin Uthappa said while speaking on JioHotstar.
Coming to the match, SRH was put to bat first by LSG, who had opted to bowl first. Shardul restricted LSG to 15/2, but a 61-run partnership between Travis Head (47 in 28 balls, with five fours and a six) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (32 in 28 balls, with two fours) stabilised the innings for a bit. Cameos did come from Heinrich Klaasen (26 in 17 balls, with two fours and a six), Aniket Varma (36 in 13 balls, with five sixes) and skipper Pat Cummins (18 in four balls, with three sixes), which pushed SRH to 190/9 in their 20 overs.
Shardul (4/34) was the top bowler for LSG, while Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi getting a wicket each.
During the run-chase, LSG lost Aiden Markram early, but a 116-run stand between Nicholas Pooran (70 in 26 balls, with six fours and six sixes) and Mitchell Marsh (52 in 31 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and a fine cameo in the end from Abdul Samad (22* in eight balls, with two fours and two sixes) pushed LSG to a five-wicket win with 23 balls left. Pat (2/29) was the top bowler for SRH.
Shardul was named the 'Player of the Match' for his fiery spell.