Top 3 innings of Nicholas Pooran in IPL
Prior to the auction for the 2019 edition of IPL, everyone had an idea of what to expect from Nicholas Pooran. His explosiveness was well highlighted across the different tournaments he played. But a bid of INR 4.2 crores was perhaps not what many had predicted. Former Kings XI Punjab coach rated him very highly and found it fit to break the bank on him.
Often hailed as West Indies’ next Chris Gayle for his power hitting and batting technique, Pooran found himself sitting at the dugouts for the early part of the tournament. But he came alive around the business end and showed the world what he is made up of.
Let us have a look at the top 5 innings of Nicholas Pooran in IPL:
3. 36 (22) vs Chennai Super Kings
We start off our list of the top 5 innings of Nicholas Pooran in IPL with the game between KXIP and Chennai Super Kings, which took place at the IS Bindra Stadium. Batting first, CSK amassed a competitive total of 170. KL Rahul and Chris Gayle handed Punjab a dream start in their run chase.
They set up a 108-run opening stand. But both Gayle and Rahul were dismissed on consecutive deliveries, while Mayank Agarwal soon followed suit. Pooran had to steady the ship first, and then pull the plug. The played a composed knock of unbeaten 36 from just 22 deliveries, which helped Punjab get over the line with a couple of overs to spare.
2. 46 (28) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Despite all of his talent, luck has often let Nicholas Pooran down. His two best performances in IPL ended up in defeats for Kings XI Punjab. This particular knock was against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Batting first, Bangalore scored a mighty total of 202.
Punjab’s start to the run chase was similar. Though Chris Gayle was dismissed early, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal set up a great partnership. But here again, the two batsmen were dismissed in a span of just six deliveries. Alongside David Miller, Nicholas Pooran had to stop the flow of wickets and also score runs aplenty. He scored an impressive 46 from just 28 balls, which included 5 sixes. Unfortunately, Punjab were ultimately 17 runs short of the total.
1. 48 (27) vs Kolkata Knight Riders
The final mention on our list of the top 5 innings of Nicholas Pooran in IPL is from the game between KXIP and Kolkata Knight Riders. Batting first at the IS Bindra Stadium, Punjab lost both KL Rahul and Chris Gayle inside the first five overs. Nicholas Pooran and Mayank Agarwal were the chief architects of a massive comeback from there onwards.
While Agarwal player the sheet anchor’s role, Pooran scored a quickfire 48 from just 27 balls. His fiery knock comprised of 3 boundaries and 4 sixes. Pooran’s knock helped Punjab reach a competitive total of 183, Shubman Gill and Chris Lynn‘s brilliance earned two points for the visitors.
