Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a Super Over in IPL 2026, facing heavy backlash for sending out-of-form Nicholas Pooran to bat. The decision backfired as he was dismissed for a golden duck. Pooran’s poor season form and weak Super Over record intensified criticism of LSG’s tactical call.
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) management has come under heavy scrutiny for their decision to send out-of–form Nicholas Pooran in the Super Over of the IPL 2026 clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, April 26.
LSG suffered their sixth defeat of the season following a Super Over loss to KKR. Chasing a modest 156-run target, the hosts levelled the visitors' total of 155 after Mohammed Shami hit a six off Kartik Tyagi when 7 runs were needed off the final ball to win. In the Super Over, LSG lost two wickets of Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram, posting just 1 run on the board.
With just two runs off six balls to win, Rinku Singh, who scored an unbeaten 83 earlier, sealed the match in style with a boundary, taking KKR over the finish line in a tense finish. This was the first Super Over of the IPL 2026, with KKR holding their nerve in a dramatic finish to claim victory.
Nicholas Pooran Struggles Continue
As LSG lost to KKR in a thrilling Super Over clash, the main talking point from the match is s Nicholas Pooran’s continued run of poor form, with the southpaw yet again failing to deliver in a crucial match for the Lucknow Super Giants, as they fight for a spot in the playoffs. Pooran’s struggles with his consistency began at the start of the season, and there has been no significant turnaround.
In the first seven outings before the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Nicholas Pooran scored 8, 1, 13, 19, 1, 9, and 22, totaling 73 at an abysmal average of 10.43, reflecting his ongoing struggle for rhythm and consistency in the tournament. In LSG’s second face-off against KKR in the ongoing IPL season, Pooran was dismissed for just 9 runs, further extending his lean patch.
Though the West Indies batter’s struggles are under heavy scrutiny, what makes it even more surprising is that LSG’s decision to back him in a high-pressure Super Over, a call that ultimately backfired in a crucial moment of the match. Facing his former WI teammate Sunil Narine on the first ball, Pooran was bowled out for a golden duck.
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Nicholas Pooran notoriously has a poor record in T20 Super Overs, scoring just 1 while facing 10 balls across five separate appearances since the Caribbean Premier League 2021. The latest was his fifth Super Over appearance in his T20 career, further highlighting his continued struggles in high-pressure tie-break situations.
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Pooran’s struggle with form and rhythm in IPL 2026, coupled with his repeated failures in pressure situations, has intensified scrutiny over his role in the LSG setup and raised questions about the team’s decision-making in crunch moments.
LSG Slammed for Trusting Pooran in Super Over
Lucknow Super Giants might have to deal with growing backlash from fans and cricket enthusiasts on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), questioning the team management’s decision-making in the Super Over and the continued backing of an out-of-form Nicholas Pooran in such a high-pressure situation.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts criticised the LSG’s tactical call, especially backing struggling Pooran in the Super Over, with many calling it a “blunder under pressure” and criticising the team’s lack of better options in a crunch situation. Others termed the management’s decision as ‘unbelievable trust’, ‘poor planning’, and even demanded accountability for the match-defining decision that backfired.
A few said the LSG should have backed another alternative, such as Matthew Breetzke, instead of persisting with Pooran, while others expressed shock at his continued selection despite repeated failures.
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Apart from Nicholas Pooran’s poor form, Lucknow Super Giants are themselves struggling to find consistency this season, as they have been pushed to the bottom of the points table with just two wins and six losses, accumulating just 4 points and having a NRR of -1.106 after 8 matches.
LSG are currently in a situation where they have to win the remaining six games of the tournament in order to have realistic chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
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