Nicholas Pooran’s golden run with the bat rolled on in spectacular fashion, as the West Indies power-hitter unleashed another breathtaking assault, this time on Kolkata Knight Riders, to lead the Lucknow Super Giants to a narrow but thrilling four-run win in a high-scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) classic under the lights on Tuesday.
Pooran, in the form of his life, blasted an unbeaten 87 from just 36 balls, laced with seven boundaries and eight towering sixes, to guide the Super Giants to a daunting 238-3, a total that just managed to eclipse a spirited 234-7 reply from Sunil Narine and Andre Russell's Knight Riders.
It was Pooran’s third half-century of the season, and with 288 runs in just five games, he is no doubt among the centerpieces of the Super Giants’ batting engine.
His innings was a mix of precision, power, and poise, as he entered the fray with the foundation already laid and elevated the momentum to dizzying heights. He combined first with Mitchell Marsh in a rollicking 71-run partnership, then turned on full beast mode in a 51-run blitz alongside Abdul Samad, who could only watch as Pooran launched into full flight.
Nicholas Pooran raises his bat after registering another half-century. (Photos: BCCI).
Sent in to bat, the Super Giants began their innings on a solid footing thanks to a fluent 99-run opening stand between Aiden Markram and Marsh. Markram’s 28-ball 47 was laced with four fours and a pair of sixes before Harshit Rana broke the stand in the 11th over.
However, Marsh carried on the charge, as he struck six fours and five sixes in his enterprising 81 off 48 balls before being dismissed by Andre Russell in the 16th over. But Pooran, unfazed and in full rhythm, turned the final four overs into a highlight reel, sending the Eden Gardens crowd into a mix of awe and agony.
Samad fell for four with the score at 221, but Pooran ensured the Super Giants reached a mammoth total, finishing the innings alongside David Miller, who was also unbeaten on four.
Chasing 239 was always going to be steep, and the Knight Riders’ innings got off on the wrong foot when Quinton de Kock (15) fell early to Akash Deep. But fellow West Indian Sunil Narine gave the chase some legs with a quickfire 30 off 13 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, in a 54-run stand with captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Sunil Narine's contribution wasn't enough for the Knight Riders.
Narine was eventually undone by legspinner Digvesh Rathi, but Rahane held firm and topscored with a breezy 61 off 35 balls, studded with eight fours and two sixes. His partnerships—54 with Narine and 71 with Venkatesh Iyer — kept the Knight Riders in the hunt deep into the innings.
However, the middle order unravelled just as the chase was heating up. From 162-2, the Knight Riders tumbled to 185-7, losing key wickets — including Iyer, whose 29-ball 45 had six fours and one six. Ramamdeep Singh (one), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (five), and Russell (seven) were the others that fell in quick succession.
Just as the game seemed done and dusted, Rinku Singh lit a spark with a whirlwind unbeaten 38 off 15 balls, while Harshit Rana chipped in with 10 not out. Their 49-run partnership brought the equation down to six off the last ball, but it was too steep a mountain to climb, as the Super Giants sealed a third win while condemning the Knight Riders to a third defeat.
Akash Deep (2-55) and Shardul Thakur (2-52) led the way for the Super Giants with the ball.
With the win, the Super Giants now sit fourth with six points, while the Knight Riders slipped to sixth with four points.