Since the start of 2024, Nicholas Pooran has been one of the most dangerous players in T20 cricket. He is on course to rewrite the standard for batting greatness! He can claim to have the highest number of maximums with an outstanding record of 211 sixes. That’s left him clear of his closest rival, Heinrich Klaasen, whose 124 sixes in the same span fall way short of Phillips. Pooran’s explosive performance over the last week has undoubtedly turned some heads. With great power he clears the boundary regularly and is very high in overall 100% consistency at the crease.
In those ten innings combined, Pooran averaged 57.7 runs per match — a proven top-order, run-producing machine. His aggressive approach is best encapsulated in a phenomenal strike rate of 199 during this stretch. The West Indian cricketer makes his opponents look foolish when he hits sixes with Ferguson-like precision. This stroke has developed into the calling card of his game. Since the start of 2023 Pooran has left fans stunned with a mind boggling strike rate of 344.7 runs per hundred balls while pulling off the slog sweep shot. This legendary performance exemplifies his unmatched talent and flawless execution.
Pooran also demonstrated extraordinary adjustment to different types of bowlers. This skill deepens his claim as the best T20 batsman to ever play the game. He averages 31.5 in this facet and his SR is 108.6 against left-arm wrist-spin. Against left-arm quicks, his strike rate is a mind-blowing 173.5. Against right-arm pacers, this number jumps up to a strike rate of 163.5.
2023 was an all-time high year for him. He recently eclipsed Chris Gayle’s nine-year-old record for most sixes in a calendar year. Pooran released his inner-Juggernaut on 139 bombs last season – most notably breaking Chris Gayle’s six-hitting record of 135 (set in 2015) just a year ago. It is this accomplishment that has cemented him more than ever as one of the most explosive batsmen in the format’s history.
His I.P.L. tutor Samit Patel, the muscular cricketer and recently crowned world-beater, spoke fondly of Pooran’s professionalism and attitude.
“His mindset is absolutely second to none and he is fully committed. There are no half-hearted swings.” – Samit Patel
Patel acknowledged Pooran’s dogged training routine as a key factor. The 20-year-old batsman from Punjab has refined his batting prowess to an extent where smashing sixes looks effortless.
“Having seen him train, if the ball lands in a certain area, he has trained and trained so it is natural to him [to hit sixes].” – Samit Patel
The great difficulty for upcoming bowlers who have to contend with Pooran is that he’s an all-rounder. Patel’s versatility, he said, is what makes him most challenging to bowl to, in that he can hit to all areas.
“Because he hits 360 degrees he is very difficult to bowl at,” – Samit Patel
As bowlers contend with new and unusual obstacles, they too have their own bag of tricks. In particular, Patel understood that bowlers often set Pooran up by trying to sucker him in. They don’t need him to clear the ropes, they want him to knock them down.
“From a spinners point of view, we try and make him cut the ball. We try and make him hit behind the wicket. If he hits fours it’s OK. When he hits sixes we know he is dangerous.” – Samit Patel
He is currently averaging a jaw-dropping 4.8 sixes per match. From his performance, unique personal accolades not only shine through, but glitter surprisingly. It also shows his outsized influence on the culture and strategy of these teams.
Pooran’s scoring ability is otherworldly. He’s currently scored 738 more runs than any other player in T20 cricket since the start of 2023, so he’s definitely a player to keep an eye on in the matches ahead.
Leave a Reply