On Saturday, March 30, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) hitter Nicholas Pooran delivered a clutch knock against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2024 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Nicholas Pooran whacked the bowlers mercilessly – 42 runs off 21 balls. With three sixes and fours alike, he went after them. But, in the 16th over, Rabada’s delivery breached his defenses, knocking over the stumps.
The southpaw attempted a cross-batted lofted stroke against an outside off-stump delivery. The West Indian failed to make the ideal connection, as the ball crashed into the stumps after hitting the inner edge of his bat.
Pooran appeared very frustrated with himself after his bad shot selection. You may view the dismissal video below:
It is worth noting that Nicholas Pooran is guiding LSG in their current match against Punjab in the absence of usual captain KL Rahul. The normal captain batted as an impact substitute and did not take the field during PBKS’ innings.
Nicholas Pooran and company finish at 199/8 after 20 overs
Lucknow won the toss and decided to bat first against Punjab. KL Rahul was removed cheaply, falling in the fourth over after reaching only 15 runs.
To make matters worse for LSG, Devdutt Padikkal had a batting disaster, scoring only nine runs. Nicholas Pooran and Quinton de Kock’s knocks stabilized the ship for Lucknow.
De Kock reached a magnificent half-century with 54 runs off 38 balls. Pooran’s fast strike provided LSG a much-needed boost. Krunal Pandya also stepped up, making a significant contribution at the back end. Krunal finished undefeated on 43 in 22 balls, leading Lucknow to an outstanding 199-run total.
Sam Curran was Punjab’s best bowler, taking three wickets and allowing only 28 runs in four overs. Arshdeep Singh took two wickets, while Kagiso Rabada and Rahul Chahar each picked up one.