Lucknow Super Giants batter Nicholas Pooran is enduring a tough stretch in the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The left-handed top-order batter, who earns Rs 21 crore with the franchise, has managed just 42 runs across five matches—an average of 8.40—with a strike rate of 76.36. Pooran’s best score so far in the campaign stands at 19, leaving the franchise and its supporters under pressure as the season moves on.
Against that backdrop, LSG’s decision to share a video of Pooran hitting sixes in the nets backfired with sections of the fanbase. Social media users mocked the wicketkeeper-batter for his limited output in IPL 2026, turning the practice clip into a fresh target for criticism.
RCB’s win over LSG and what led to the turnaround
- Earlier this week, Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a dominant display to beat Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in an IPL 2026 match.
- The result marked the third defeat in five games for Rishabh Pant’s side, underlining the difficulty LSG have faced so far.
- Despite expectations of a slower surface at the Chinnaswamy, the pitch ended up being less of a problem for RCB than pre-match chatter suggested—particularly once the chase got going.
- Bengaluru successfully chased 147, reaching the target in 15.1 overs after Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar took control of the innings.
- Kohli set the tone early in the pursuit, scoring at a brisk pace as RCB moved quickly, overcoming the early dismissal of Phil Salt.
- In the key second-wicket partnership, Kohli struck four boundaries in one Prince Yadav over, while Devdutt Padikkal contributed 57 runs for the stand before being dismissed for 10.
- Kohli, however, fell short of another half-century when he miscued his shot and was caught by Nicholas Pooran at long-on off pacer Avesh Khan.
- Patidar kept the scoreboard moving with a flurry of hitting—two straight sixes off Mohammed Shami and another off Prince—helping RCB reduce the equation significantly.
- Jitesh Sharma and Patidar both got out as the finish approached, but they had already done enough for Bengaluru to secure the win.
- Before the batting side came into play, RCB swung the contest with disciplined bowling spells from Rasikh Salam (4/24), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/27), and Josh Hazlewood (1/20).
- Even though Hazlewood’s wicket tally was modest, his new-ball burst in the Powerplay played a major role in restricting LSG to 146 — a below-par total.
With Pooran still searching for form and LSG facing another tough outing, Bengaluru’s clinical bowling and controlled chase became the defining story of the match—one that left Lucknow still needing to find consistency both with the bat and in momentum across games.
