IPL 2023Nicholas Pooran hits joint 2nd fastest half-century in tournament history while chasing 213 vs RCB

By India Today Sports DeskLucknow Super Giants batter Nicholas Pooran looked in menacing touch against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, on Monday 10 April. Pooran, in a sensational counter-attacking knock, kept LSG in the fight against RCB while chasing a mammoth target of 213 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Pooran reached his half-century in just 15 balls, to become the fastest player to reach fifty this season and joint second-fastest in the history of the Indian Premier League. Pooran is now tied with Sunil Narine and Yusuf Pathan in the fastest fifty list and behind LSG captain KL Rahul and Pat Cummins, who had scored their half-centuries in 14 balls.

IPL 2023RCB vs LSG Live

Pooran’s onslaught came at a time when it felt like the game had gone away from LSG after the wicket of Marcus Stoinis and KL Rahul. Pooran batted in full and launched an exceptional hitting spree against both pacers and spinners on the day. Pooran found aid from young Ayush Badoni, who came into the side in the second innings as the Impact Substitute and played a hndy knock to rapidly improve the run-rate, in the second half of the innings.

At the time of writing, Nicholas Pooran had just gotten out for 62 off 19 balls handing a catch at the boundary line off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj in the 17th over of the game. LSG still needed 24 runs to win from the final three overs of the match. ‘

Earlier in the game, Royal Challengers Bangalore got up to a massive total, courtesy three brilliant innings from Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell. All three completed their individual half-centuries to take RCB to a massive total of 212/2 in their 20 overs.

LSG started poorly with KL Rahul struggling to show intent, while the likes of Kyle Mayers and Krunal Pandya departed cheaply. LSG’s first counter-attack came from Marcus Stoinis, who hit 65 off 30 balls, and it was a Nicholas Pooran show from there on.