MUMBAI, India, CMC – West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran signed off from the Indian Premier League in grand style with a whirlwind 75 that set the foundation for Lucknow Super Giants to clinch an 18-run win against Mumbai Indians yesterday.
Pooran, batting at five, smashed five fours and eight sixes from 29 balls and enabled LSG to finish on 214 for six after they chose to bat in their final preliminary match of the tournament at the Wankhede Stadium.
Half-centuries from India national captain Rohit Sharma and the uncapped Naman Dhir failed to inspire MI, but they made a strong reply of 196 for six and sunk to their 10 defeats in this year’s tournament and will finish at the bottom of the table.
Pooran ended the tournament with 499 runs at a healthy average of 62.37 and confirmed that he will hold the key to the batting success of co-hosts West Indies in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup, starting on June 1.
With the rest of the West Indies batsmen chosen for the World Cup either struggling to score runs or to play in the IPL, or missing the lucrative tournament, the form of Pooran offers head coach Daren Sammy and captain Rovman Powell a lifeline for success.
Pooran and LSG captain and India batsman K.L. Rahul revived their side’s chances against MI after leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Thushara carved up the top order of the visitors, and they limped to 69 for three in the 10th over.
Rahul hit a more sedate 55 off 41 balls and put on 109 with Pooran before they were dismissed in the final five overs in defiance of Thushara ending with three for 28 from his allotted four overs, and Chawla finishing with three for 29 from four overs.
India national captain Rohit Sharma then hit 68 from 38 balls and shared 88 for the first wicket with South Africa batsman Dewald Brevis to get MI chase off to a flying start, but MI struggled to keep up with the scoring rate in the middle overs and were 120 for five entering the final phase.
Naman Dhir came to the crease at seven, cracked 62 from 28 balls, and dominated a 68-run, sixth wicket stand with international Ishan Kishan, but his effort fell short, and LSG ended the tournament with a 7-7 record and 14 points.
