Nicholas Pooran redeemed himself with a stunning 16-ball half-century as Lucknow Super Giants trumped Mumbai Indians in an IPL 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, May 5. Pooran was not in top form when he came into the game, scoring just 82 runs from eight matches at an average of 10.25.
Moreover, he had a horror game against Kolkata Knight Riders in Lucknow a week ago. Pooran managed just nine runs in the 20-over contest before being dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy. He then fell for a duck in the Super Over where he was bowled by Sunil Narine. It was his third IPL duck in Super Overs in as many matches.
IPL 2026, MI vs LSG: Update | Scorecard
Pooran was in such poor form as the former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn said LSG shouldn’t have sent him for the Super Over. But on Monday, Pooran showed why he is considered a brute force in T20s and why he should not be written off in any way.
NICHOLAS POORAN TAKES ME
Pooran unleashed a breathtaking counter-attack against the MI bowlers, scoring 63 runs off 21 balls with the help of one four and eight sixes. Stepping in at No.3 after Josh Inglis fell prematurely to Allah Ghazanfar, Pooran wasted little time in stamping his authority.
He stitched together a quick 94-run stand with Mitchell Marsh, dictating the conditions from the start and shifting the momentum in Lucknow’s favour.
Pooran was particularly ruthless against the spin, dismantling Will Jacks and Ghazanfar with a flurry of moves and raids. Anything that came into his arc was dispatched as he repeatedly cleared the ropes over mid-wicket and over long-on.
His ability to pick the length early and maintain a strong base allowed him to dominate even the faster bowlers. Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah were not spared either, with Pooran using the pace on offer to find boundaries and keep the scoreboard ticking.
Pooran looked unstoppable before Corbin Bosch eventually dismissed him. Bosch got rid of the left-hander with a sharp short ball on the leg stump and drove him for a pull as the glove edge carried Ryan Rickelton behind the stumps.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
04 May 2026 20:51 IST
