Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Nicholas Pooran for playing a stunning knock in the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) IPL 2025 win against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). He also added that Pooran hit massive sixes on the leg side and didn’t score too many runs towards mid-off as well.

While talking about LSG’s chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “Nicholas Pooran – what a player, phenomenal player that he is. There is an extremely interesting thing about him. He didn’t score any runs straight. The mid-off area was empty, he doesn’t hit there. He is slightly different from Quinton de Kock. Quinton de Kock is a bottom-handed player whose bat comes from outside off. His (Pooran’s) bat also comes from outside off but it comes differently. He keeps both his legs close to each other and bends down. If you collapse your knees, the bat won’t come straight and will come from outside off. So the ball will go to the leg side, and he has got this phenomenal hitting ability.”

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However, Aakash Chopra also praised Mitchell Marsh for giving the Lucknow Super Giants a quickfire start after Aiden Markram’s (1 off 4) early dismissal as well.

“Aiden Markram got out. We had discussed yesterday that the focus would be on Markram as Matthew Breetzke is waiting outside, and the other opener, who plays as an Impact Player because he doesn’t bowl, Mitchell Marsh, he is smashing it and how. He is batting extremely well. He scored 52 runs off only 31 balls, with two sixes,” he said.

“He started from where he left in Vizag. Vizag and Hyderabad aren’t too far either. Pat Cummins eventually dismissed him and then bowled a few bouncers as well. Rishabh Pant got out to a full toss. There was a no-ball check, but it wasn’t a no-ball. He was caught, and Ayush Badoni also got out after that. It seemed like this team might stumble a little,” Aakash Chopra concluded.