Criminal: Dale Steyn blasts LSG for sending Nicholas Pooran in Super Over vs KKR
Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn slammed Lucknow Super Giants for sending Nicholas Pooran out in the Super Over against Kolkata Knight Riders. On Sunday, April 26, LSG went down to KKR in a thriller at the Ekana Stadium, slipping to the bottom of the points table. Pooran endured a tough outing, managing just nine runs before failing to score in the Super Over.
Varun Chakravarthy dismissed him during the regulation 20 overs, while the crafty Sunil Narine accounted for him again in the Super Over. Pooran has now featured in three Super Overs in IPL history and has been dismissed for a duck on each occasion. His struggles have continued this season as well, with just 82 runs at an average of 10.25.
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Steyn felt that, given Pooran’s poor run of form, the Super Giants should have turned to other options such as Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant or Mukul Choudhary.
“Three Super Overs for Nicholas Pooran in the IPL, three ducks. So yes, absolutely, would you send someone else? Of course. You’ve got players like Mitch Marsh, Rishabh Pant, and Mukul Choudhary. Given Pooran’s recent form, there were other options. He hasn’t scored more than 30 or 40 runs this season, I don’t know the exact numbers, but to send him in first ball in a Super Over to get you runs is almost a criminal decision,” Steyn told the broadcasters.
‘CANNOT AFFORD SUCH BLUNDERS’
Overall, in his T20 career, Pooran has been dismissed for a duck in four of his five Super Over innings, with his only other outing yielding just one run. He also had a sense of deja vu against Narine, who had dismissed him in a Super Over during a Caribbean Premier League clash back in 2014. Steyn believes Pooran is in such poor form at the moment that even he may be struggling for self-belief.
“It’s one that could have gone either way, but at this stage of the season, when you’re desperate to win, you don’t send in a batter who hasn’t delivered all season. You go with players who’ve been striking the ball well, guys you trust to clear the ropes, or at least back to do the job. I don’t even think Nicholas Pooran believes he can do it right now; he’s in such a bad run of form,” Steyn said.
“It’s unfortunate because he’s such a wonderful player. But when you’re trying to revive your season, you can’t afford blunders like that, not at this level,” Steyn added.
With the defeat to the Knight Riders, the Super Giants have now lost five matches on the trot. With their campaign rapidly slipping, Rishabh Pant’s men will look to bounce back when they face the Mumbai Indians on Monday, May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium.
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