Key Points

Pooran has ignited the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league with his sheer blitzkrieg with the bat. With his explosive 70(26), he was the backbone of Lucknow's successful 191-run chase as the Super Giants sealed a 5-wicket win in Hyderabad.

Impressed with Pooran's consistent swashbuckling displays in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league, Harbhajan classified the Caribbean batter as the best T20 format player.

"Currently Nicholas Pooran is the best player of T20 format. Period!" Harbhajan wrote on X.

The 29-year-old began his campaign by slamming 75 from 30 deliveries against Delhi Capitals, even though his valiant effort went in vain, courtesy of Ashutosh Sharma's heroism. Pooran couldn't salvage a victory for his side as DC escaped with a narrow one-wicket win in Vizag.

With his recent exploits on the field, Pooran is the Orange Cap holder in the ongoing 18th edition of the tournament. He has 145 runs to his name in two matches, with a staggering average of 72.50 while striking ferociously at 258.92.

Pooran also became the second player after former KL Rahul to cross the 1000-run mark for the franchise. He achieved the feat in just 31 matches, averaging 45.54 with a stellar strike rate of 184.53. The belligerent stroke player boasts 1002 runs in 31 matches, only bettered by Rahul's 1410 in 38 matches.

The 29-year-old known for his effortless power-hitting has breezed past the fifty-run landmark in fewer than 20 deliveries four times, the highest by any player in the cash-rich league.

Australia's power hitters Travis Head and Jake Fraser-McGurk are tied in the second spot, achieving the feat three times each. Pooran raced to his fifty in a mere 18 deliveries, the second-fastest for LSG behind his own 15-ball effort against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023.

- ANI