Nicholas Pooran's IPL 2026 form: Is the LSG star running out of time?
Lucknow Super Giants entered IPL 2026 still reeling from back-to-back playoff exits, and the season so far has been just as frustrating. LSG currently sit seventh in the standings with only two wins from five matches, leaving them with four points and a poor net run rate.
Their campaign started with a loss to Delhi Capitals, and while they managed two straight wins after that, a five-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on 15 April saw them slide back down the table. The batting lineup looks dangerous on paper, with Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran on the same side, but they haven't clicked as a unit yet. Now, the team are struggling to find the rhythm needed to make a real push for the top four.
Pooran's numbers tell a grim story
The most frustrating part of Nicholas Pooran's IPL 2026 slump is that it comes right after the best T20 season of his career. In IPL 2025, he smashed 524 runs in 14 matches with a massive strike rate of 196.25 and a tournament-high 40 sixes, leading LSG to retain him for ₹21 crore. Just one year later, he looks like a different player.
In the opener against Delhi, Pooran made just 8 off 8; against Sunrisers, he struggled for 1 off 4; against KKR, he fell for 13; against Gujarat, he crawled to 19 off 21; and against RCB on 15 April, he managed only 1 off 7 before Josh Hazlewood got him out.
In five innings this season, Pooran has scratched together just 42 runs at an average of 8.40 and a strike rate of 76.36, stats you'd expect from a tail-ender, not a ₹21-crore star. Against pace, his average falls to 5 and his strike rate to 63, making him the lowest-scoring batter among those who have faced at least 30 balls this year.
What did Irfan Pathan say about Pooran's slump?
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was blunt about Pooran’s struggles on his YouTube channel, highlighting both technical and mental issues. Pathan pointed out that Pooran’s strike rate hasn’t even hit 100 this season and that he’s simply stopped scoring. He noted that while the West Indian batted at number three last year, he’s now being pushed lower down the order.
Pathan also spotted a technical flaw, saying Pooran’s front foot is planting too early. More importantly, Pathan suggested the real issue might be mental or perhaps a health concern that's weighing him down. He warned that if Pooran doesn't find his form soon, he’ll be in trouble, especially with a talent like Josh Inglis waiting in the wings to put pressure on his spot.
"100 ka bhi strike rate nahi hai (His strike rate is not even 100). He hasn't been scoring at all. He batted at No. 3 last year but has now been moved down the order. Another thing, his foot gets planted early. That's why he is not in form. More than technique, I feel the issue is in the head, or there is some health issue. One of these two things is bothering Nicholas Pooran," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
"If he doesn't sort it out quickly, he could be in trouble because Josh Inglis is a very good player, and there will be pressure on Nicholas Pooran when he joins the camp," Irfan Pathan added.
The clock ticks louder with Inglis waiting
LSG's director of cricket, Tom Moody, took a calmer approach, insisting the franchise still believes in Pooran and that "class is permanent", though he admitted Pooran knows he’s had a slow start. However, that patience only goes so far. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar noted that an exaggerated front-foot movement is limiting Pooran’s options against fast bowlers, making his shots too predictable.
With LSG stuck in seventh place and every upcoming match feeling like a must-win, Pooran can’t afford many more failures. The team paid for a match-winner, not a passenger, and with Inglis ready to step in, Pooran is running out of chances to turn things around.
