Nicholas Pooran's explosive unbeaten 87 off 36 balls against KKR at Eden Gardens has officially lit up the IPL 2025 season. Walking in at the 11th over, Pooran didn’t take a single ball to settle—he just unleashed. With eight sixes and seven boundaries, he powered Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a massive 238/3, making it one of the most dominant individual batting performances this year.
Teaming up with Mitchell Marsh, the duo smashed 71 runs in just 30 balls for the second wicket, turning the tide of the game completely in LSG’s favour. Pooran’s innings, though just shy of a century due to a disciplined final over from Vaibhav Arora, still saw him eclipse his previous IPL best of 77.
What’s even more staggering is his consistency this season:
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288 runs in 5 matches
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Strike rate: 225
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Three fifties already
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Now the Orange Cap holder
With Marsh not far behind at 265 runs (4 fifties), LSG’s top order is firing on all cylinders. Pooran’s six-hitting stats continue to amaze fans and analysts alike—he’s hitting one every 8.05 balls, second only to the explosive Andre Russell (6.87) among players with 50+ sixes. Even more striking, in the final 4 overs of an innings, Pooran strikes at over 200 against every delivery length except yorkers. That's elite finishing.
This kind of form completely justifies his Rs 21 crore retention—a record in IPL history. Pooran was already delivering with 358 and 499 runs in the previous two seasons, but this year, he’s taken it to another level. Fans are now applauding not just his power, but his ability to absorb pressure and consistently deliver at this price tag.
LSG's innings had a dream start too—Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh added 99 for the first wicket, with Markram smashing a quick 47 off 27. Marsh followed it up with a classy 81 off 48, becoming the first player to cross the 250-run mark this season before Pooran overtook him.
Notably, Rishabh Pant, the LSG captain, chose not to bat, giving opportunities to Abdul Samad and David Miller instead—an interesting move, likely signalling his trust in the depth and form of the batting lineup.
With this kind of momentum, LSG is not just chasing wins—they’re setting benchmarks. Want a breakdown of where this innings ranks all-time or how Pooran’s form compares to past IPL legends?
