Not Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, or Travis Head!! Harbhajan Singh picks the greatest T20 Cricketer
Published - 28 Mar 2025, 10:54 AM | Updated - 28 Mar 2025, 11:55 AM
Former Indian spinner and commentator Harbhajan Singh has showered rich praise on Nicholas Pooran for his swashbuckling knock that guided Lucknow Super Giants to a five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 7th game of the ongoing IPL 2025 on Thursday (March 27).
Sunrisers Hyderabad have set the bar of scoring rate so high, especially at their home—Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad—but the story was completely different in their second match of the ongoing IPL 2025 against the Lucknow Super Giants.
LSG's Nicholas Pooran’s sensational knock destroys SRH in the IPL 2025 clash
For the first time since the last season, no SRH batter could manage to hit a fifty as the hosts mustered only 190/9 on the board; that’s quite low according to their standard, all thanks to Shardul Thakur’s four-wicket haul in Hyderabad.
Read Also: "It was a different wicket...": Pat Cummins blames pitch for SRH’s loss to LSG
Thakur finished with the impressive figures of 4/34 to play a key role in LSG’s thrilling win over SRH to open their account in the ongoing IPL 2025. However, it was Nicholas Pooran who stole the show during LSG’s successful run chase, leaving the SRH fans at their home ground stunned.
The West Indian hard-hitter played a blistering innings of 70 runs off just 26 balls, laced with six boundaries and as many as six sixes. Pooran’s knock was the complete package of entertainment, as he unleashed a series of powerful strokes before eventually being dismissed by SRH captain Pat Cummins.
Harbhajan Singh declares Nicholas Pooran T20 king after his blazing innings
However, he and Mitchell Marsh (52 runs off 31 balls) had already set the stage for an easy win for the LSG over SRH. After the SRH vs LSG match, Harbhajan Singh could not hide his emotions, as he made a bold statement on Pooran following his blazing knock in Hyderabad.
Harbhajan Singh has rated Pooran as the best player in T20 cricket at the moment. He called him a trump card for LSG. Harbhajan posted, X: “Currently, Nicholas Pooran is the best player of the T20 format. Period! @nicholas_47 ♠️ @IPL.”
Currently Nicholas Pooran is the best player of T20 format . Period ! @nicholas_47 ♠️ @IPL
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 27, 2025
Nicholas Pooran joins elite club with 1000 runs for LSG in the IPL
Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran has etched his name in Lucknow Super Giants' history by becoming only the second player to cross the 1000-run mark for the franchise in the Indian Premier League. The dynamic batter reached this milestone in style with a breathtaking knock against the SRH.
Pooran’s power-packed performance took his tally for LSG to 1002 from just 31 matches at a stunning average of 45.54 and a strike rate of 184.53, making him the second-highest run-scorer for the team. He is now only behind former LSG skipper KL Rahul, who leads the chart with 1410 runs from 38 matches. Pooran has also set the record for the fastest fifty in the IPL.
The LSG star said after the match, “I don't plan to hit sixes. I just try my best to get in good positions, and if it's there, just time the ball nicely. In the last nine years, I have been working on my craft. Obviously, I have been getting the opportunity to bat higher up in the Powerplay as well. It is really important to cash in when the wicket is nice, and obviously, when the match-up is there, you try your best to execute your skills.”
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