Dissecting Nicholas Pooran's horrendous run in IPL 2026
What's the story
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are facing a major challenge with their batting lineup in the ongoing IPL season. The team's star player Nicholas Pooran has been struggling for form, raising questions about his place in the playing XI. Despite being one of the most explosive batters in the league's history, Pooran has failed to deliver this season. He missed another chance against Punjab Kings on Sunday while chasing a daunting target of 255 runs.
Campaign
Pooran's terrible run in the season
In his latest outing against PBKS, Pooran was out for a run-a-ball 9 as LSG were restricted to 200/5 while chasing 255. As per ESPNcricinfo, Pooran has managed just 51 runs across six innings in IPL 2026 at a paltry average of 8.50. His strike rate is also a terrible 79.68, as the southpaw has managed just a couple of boundaries in the season. He has not even touched the 20-run mark even once.
Numbers
Golden run in last two seasons
Pooran's decline is indeed jaw-dropping as he enjoyed a golden run in the last two IPL seasons. The southpaw smashed 524 runs last season at 43.66. His strike rate was a jaw-dropping 196.25. Meanwhile, Pooran's 499 runs in IPL 2024 came at an average of 62.37 (SR: 178.21). However, before 2026, Pooran endured a similar lean run in IPL 2021 as well. Playing for Punjab Kings, he could only manage 85 runs from 12 matches at 7.72.
Information
Here are his overall stats
Coming to Pooran's overall IPL numbers, he has scored 2,344 runs from 96 matches at 32.10. He has tallied 14 half-centuries. His strike rate of 164.95 is the third-best among batters with at least 2,000 runs in the league.
Replacement options
Potential replacements for Pooran in LSG's batting order
With Pooran's form being a major concern, LSG could look at other players to fill his spot. Himmat Singh, Josh Inglis, and Matthew Breetzke are three potential candidates who could replace the veteran batter in the team's XI. Inglis, who is currently unavailable, is the front-runner to take the position, having been enjoying a golden run in T20 cricket lately.