Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) star Nicholas Pooran could lose his place within the playing XI if he fails to perform again. He has done poorly in the continuing IPL 2026, scoring just 41 runs across 4 innings at a strike rate of 85.41 only.
Pathan also stated that Pooran could possibly be coping with either health or mindset issues. He suggested that the stunning batter could possibly be sidelined once Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis joins the team as well.
Irfan said in his YouTube video ahead of LSG’s match with RCB at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Wednesday, April 15: “100 ka bhi strike rate nahi hai (His strike rate just isn’t even 100). He hasn’t been scoring in any respect. He batted at No. 3 last 12 months but has now been moved down the order. One other thing, his foot gets planted early. That’s why he just isn’t in form. Greater than technique, I feel the difficulty is in the pinnacle, or there’s some health issue. One in all these two things are bothering Nicholas Pooran. If he doesn’t sort it out quickly, he could possibly be in trouble because Josh Inglis is a superb player, and there will likely be pressure on Nicholas Pooran when he joins the camp.”
Nonetheless, Irfan Pathan added that RCB skipper Rajat Patidar’s good record against spinners. He praised him as a ‘monster’ while facing spin.
He said in the identical video, “Rajat Patidar is batting at a strike rate of over 200. He can be hitting three sixes in an over against spinners. If you happen to consider yourself a gangster, then this can be a monster against spinners. Rajat Patidar’s strength is that he stands firm, and the bottom is excellent. He doesn’t use his feet rather a lot and just isn’t a player who will step out and hit. Can Digvesh Rathi invite him to play on the front foot more? Not too far ahead, but invite in such a way that he cannot hit it straight and has to go across.”
“Virat Kohli scored 50 runs within the last match, but was a bit upset after getting out. It signifies that he wants to enhance even after scoring a fifty. He wants to enhance the strike rate. Mohammad Shami has been in superb form and has bowled only one bad over. Shami gets late movement, but now he has began something latest. He turns his wrist to bowl the outswinger. That signifies that he can bowl the outswinger at will. Virat Kohli will likely be aware of it. Can he stand on the center and off stump to counter that swing? Mohammad Shami is prone to bowl one or two full balls to make him drive on the up,” he concluded.
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