Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer has urged Lucknow Super Giants to promote struggling Nicholas Pooran in the batting order amid IPL 2026. Pooran was dismissed after scoring 22 runs off 25 balls against Rajasthan Royals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The left-hander from the West Indies has managed only 73 runs in seven matches of IPL 2026 at an average of 10.43 and a strike rate of 82.02. Thus, the southpaw has failed to deliver the goods while batting in the middle order for LSG.
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “As for Nicholas Pooran, I feel he should be promoted up the order. He should bat at number three. I keep saying this, you need to give him responsibility. You retained him for ₹21 crore, so there’s no point keeping him lower down. I don’t think there’s another player of his quality in the squad, so you need to get the best out of him. Why not throw him in the water and see what he can do? Last season, he won several matches batting at number three.”
Meanwhile, Ayush Badoni has opened the innings with Mitchell Marsh in the last two games. Jaffer said Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram should open for LSG with Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant batting at number three and four, respectively.
He added, “I just mean, play him higher and give him the opportunity to face more balls, settle in, and then take the game forward. If it were up to me, I would have him at number three, Rishabh at four, and open with Aiden Markram. I would keep Badoni lower down because I think he’s better suited to finishing. If I were in that dugout, that’s the suggestion I would give.”
The former domestic giant highlighted that Rishabh Pant plays high-risk cricket, and he is bound to get out while trying to play unorthodox shots.
“I mean, Rishabh Pant is that kind of player. You have to expect that he is impulsive and instinctive. If he feels like playing a certain shot, he goes for it. He plays high-risk cricket, even in Test matches, so in this format it’s no different, he’s bound to play that way. But yes, when a player like him gets out in that manner, he gets criticized. At the same time, when he comes off, he looks outstanding and wins matches for you. These things will always come with him because that’s just the nature of his game.”
LSG will next take on KKR at Lucknow on Sunday.
