And that’s across 126 innings – which incidentally means he hits 2.2 sixes per innings. In these two and a half years, he’s batted from No.3 to No.7. He’s hit spin and pace. And he’s left-handed, can keep wickets, is a leader, and a pretty athletic fielder if the gloves are not with him. No wonder LSG shelled out the big bucks to keep him. When you have a Nicholas Pooran on your roster, you don’t let him go.
Nicholas Pooran’s masterclass
The best shot that Nicholas Pooran hit in his astonishing innings was not a six, even though each maximum was breathtaking. It was a boundary when he walked across the stumps to Pat Cummins and scoop-flicked over short fine leg.
The previous ball had been bowled wide outside off, and Nicholas Pooran had almost dragged it back into the stumps. So he predicted what Pat Cummins was going to do, and one-upped him. He did it almost casually, as if he was reading the game three steps ahead of one of the best minds in cricket.
He would go on to hit 70 off 26 before Pat Cummins finally got him. But by then, he had landed several knockout punches to flatten SRH enough, that even if they mounted a comeback, LSG would have enough of a cushion to coast to victory. In fact, he had only 10 non-boundary runs. His fifty came off just 18 balls, the quickest in IPL 2025 so far, with delectable sixes and sumptuous fours.
In IPL 2025 so far, Nicholas Pooran has batted twice. And nobody has scored quicker than him in innings lasting at least 20 balls.
Quickest innings in IPL 2025 (min 20 balls)
| Player |
Runs |
Balls |
Strike Rate |
Team |
Against |
| Nicholas Pooran |
70 |
26 |
269.23 |
LSG |
SRH (March 27) |
| Nicholas Pooran |
75 |
30 |
250.00 |
LSG |
DC (March 24) |
| Shreyas Iyer |
97* |
42 |
230.95 |
PBKS |
GT (March 25) |
| Ishan Kishan |
106* |
47 |
225.53 |
SRH |
RR (March 23) |
| Travis Head |
67 |
31 |
216.13 |
SRH |
RR (March 23) |
‘Blessed with incredible talent’
“I don’t plan to hit sixes. I just try my best to get into good positions,” Nicholas Pooran said after the game, while also elaborating on his unique gifts. “I’ve never worked on my bat speed, I’m just blessed with incredible talent. I’m glad I am getting the reward for my hard work over the years.”
When NicholasPooran says that about his batting, it’s not a boast, it sounds almost like a quiet acceptance of the truth. He has been given the No.3 spot in this LSG team, and they’re reaping the rewards of an unleashed Pooran, because there is enough batting to come after him.
According to Rishabh Pant, the idea behind placing Pooran at number three rather than further down was “to give freedom to him.” That independence appeals to me as well. But he is batting incredibly well for us, and we just told him to go express himself.
LSG has been severely impacted by IPL 2025 injuries. Nicholas Pooran, who is lucid, straightforward, and uncluttered, could be the remedy that brings them back to life.
