It’s not for nothing that Nicholas Pooran is rated so highly in white-ball cricket. At the Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai Indians on Friday, the Caribbean power-hitter’s blitz (75, 29b, 5×4, 8×6) piloted Lucknow Super Giants to 214 for six and set up an 18-run win in its final IPL fixture of the season.
A slow start by LSG captain K.L. Rahul (55, 41b, 3×4, 3×6) allowed the home team to keep things under check until the 11th over before Pooran took charge. Walking in with his team at 69 for three, Pooran counter-attacked. He hit a couple of fours and as many sixes off Anshul Kamboj before smashing two huge sixes off MI skipper Hardik Pandya.
Pooran brought up his third half-century of the season off just 19 deliveries and forged a 109-run stand with Rahul for the fourth wicket. He was at his scintillating best in the 15th over as hit Arjun Tendulkar’s first two deliveries for sixes before the bowler walked off the field due to cramps. The left-hander then hoisted Naman Dhir into the stands before missing a maximum off the fourth by a whisker. A single and a six from Rahul completed the over.
Just when he looked on course for a hundred, Pooran was caught by Suryakumar Yadav at long-on off Nuwan Thushara. Arshad Khan was dismissed off the next ball before Piyush Chawla performed a team hat-trick, removing Rahul off the first delivery of the next over.
Ayush Badoni slammed 19 off the final over bowled by Romario Shepherd .
MI started its chase briskly before rain interrupted play for 45 minutes. With Rohit Sharma (68, 38b, 10×4, 3×6) in good nick and Dewald Brevis lending good support, the host cruised to 78 for no loss in eight overs.
Rohit hit speedsters Mohsin Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq for a flurry of boundaries while Brevis joined in with a four and six off Naveen in the ninth over. The South African’s innings ended when he was caught by Krunal Pandya.
In the next over, Krunal dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for a duck before Ravi Bishnoi ended Rohit’s stay. Though Naman Dhir (62 n.o., 28b, 4×4, 5×6) battled on, the target proved too stiff for Hardik’s men.
SCOREBOARD
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS
K.L. Rahul c Thushara b Chawla 55 (41b, 3×4, 3×6), Devdutt Padikkal lbw b Thushara 0 (1b), Marcus Stoinis lbw b Chawla 28 (22b, 5×4), Deepak Hooda c Wadhera b Chawla 11 (9b, 1×4), Nicholas Pooran c Suryakumar b Thushara 75 (29b, 5×4, 8×6), Arshad Khan c Wadhera b Thushara 0 (1b), Ayush Badoni (not out) 22 (10b, 1×4, 2×6), Krunal Pandya (not out) 12 (7b, 1×4, 1×6); Extras (w-11): 11; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 214.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-1 (Padikkal, 0.3 overs), 2-49 (Stoinis, 5.6), 3-69 (Hooda, 9.3), 4-178 (Pooran, 16.5), 5-178 (Arshad, 16.6), 6-178 (Rahul, 17.1).
MUMBAI INDIANS BOWLING
Thushara 4-0-28-3, Arjun 2.2-0-22-0, Anshul 3-0-48-0, Chawla 4-0-29-3, Wadhera 2-0-13-0, Hardik 2-0-27-0, Naman 0.4-0-17-0, Shepherd 2-0-30-0.
MUMBAI INDIANS
Rohit Sharma (Impact Player in place of Thushara) c Mohsin b Bishnoi 68 (38b, 10×4, 3×6), Dewald Brevis c Hardik b Naveen 23 (20b, 1×4, 2×6), Suryakumar Yadav c Bishnoi b Krunal 0 (3b), Ishan Kishan b Naveen 14 (15b, 1×4), Hardik Pandya c Naveen b Mohsin 16 (13b, 1×4, 1×6), Nehal Wadhera c Krunal b Bishnoi 1 (3b), Naman Dhir (not out) 62 (28b, 4×4, 5×6), Romario Shepherd (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (nb-1, w-10): 11; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 196.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-88 (Brevis, 8.4), 2-89 (Suryakumar, 9.2), 3-97 (Rohit, 10.5), 4-116 (Hardik, 13.3), 5-120 (Wadhera, 14.2), 6-188 (Kishan, 19.3).
SUPER GIANTS BOWLING
Arshad 2-0-11-0, Henry 2-0-24-0, Krunal 4-0-29-1, Mohsin 4-0-45-1, Naveen (Impact Player in place of Badoni) 4-0-50-2, Bishnoi 4-0-37-2.
Toss: MI; PoM: Pooran.
LSG won by 18 runs.