Nicholas Pooran hits the fastest 50 of the 2023 Indian Premier League
Nicholas Pooran hit the fastest 50 of the 2023 Indian Premier League as Lucknow Super Giants beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by one wicket.
The Trinidadian hit 62 off 19 balls, reaching his half century off just 15 balls before being caught in the deep.
Lucknow clinched victory on the final ball after Harshal Patel failed with an attempted Mankad dismissal.
Bangalore had posted 212-2, with Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell all hitting half centuries.
Lucknow moved top of the IPL table, with three wins from four matches.
They faced defeat, though, after being reduced to 23-3, but Marcus Stoinis resisted with 65 from 30 deliveries before West Indies star Pooran, 27, made his crucial contribution.
Kohli and Du Plessis gave Bangalore a solid platform with an opening partnership of 96, before the Indian captain was caught in the deep by Stoinis after hitting 61 from 44 balls.
Du Plessis continued the charge on his way to an unbeaten 79 from 46 deliveries, ably supported by Maxwell, who struck 59 from 29 balls in a second-wicket partnership of 115.
South African Du Plessis hit back-to-back sixes off both Ravi Bishnoi, including one off the back foot over the roof of the stadium, in the 15th over and then Jaydev Unadkat in the 18th.
Australian Maxwell was eventually bowled off the penultimate ball of the innings by Mark Wood. The England bowler recovered from being hit for 14 off his first over to finish with 1-32, which were Lucknow’s best figures.
The Super Giants started badly as Mohammed Siraj bowled Kyle Mayers for a duck off the third ball of the innings and Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya both edged Wayne Parnell behind in the fourth over.
Stoinis – dropped off the bowling of England’s David Willey on nought – led the fightback. He reached his half century off 25 deliveries, before slicing spinner Karn Sharma into the hands of Shahbaz Ahmed at point, having just hit him for back-to-back sixes.
Stoinis’ dismissal appeared to leave Bangalore favourites, but Pooran had other ideas with a series of spectacular boundaries.
His big hitting was followed by Ayush Badoni, who struck 30 from 24 deliveries before he was out, hitting his own wicket while striking a six that could have won the game for Lucknow.
Instead a pulsating game went to the final ball, which also had to be retaken when bowler Patel attempted to run out non-striker Bishnoi – only to fail to make contact with the wicket.
Avesh Khan and Bishnoi then ran a bye to seal the most dramatic of victories. (BBC)
