Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer Mohammed Siraj is someone who never shies away from having a word with the batsman he is bowling to. But there are some batsmen who get fired up with words thrown at them. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batsman Nicholas Pooran is among those batsmen who prefer to respond to the verbal volleys with the bat while maintaining their cool.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between GT and LSG in Ahmedabad on Thursday, a short passage of play ignited the tension between the two star players. Put into bat by GT, LSG got off to a fantastic start with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh putting up an opening stand of 91 runs. Markram’s dismissal for 36 brought Pooran to the crease and the left-handed batter smashed the first ball he faced from Sai Kishore for a six.
IPL 2025: Simple dal chawal and sabzi, how fame and adulation hasn’t changed Vaibhav Suryavanshi
With LSG at 160/1 after 15 overs, and Pooran already becoming the highest six-hitter for his team in a single season, Siraj was brought back in the attack.
Marsh smashed the first delivery from Siraj for a four and took a single off the second. Pooran hit the third delivery for a four and Siraj followed it up with a wide. After the delivery, Siraj said something to Pooran, who didn’t respond at all, he just chewed his gum and walked forward to have a chat with Marsh. The umpire got across to calm Siraj down.
Also Read | Flattering to deceive: A reality KL Rahul has to live with
Pooran went for a big hit off the next delivery but missed. Siraj again had some words with Pooran, who again chewed his gum and smiled wryly at the bowler.
The response from Pooran came on the next delivery when he cleared his front leg and smashed a cross-seam and full delivery around leg-stump powerfully over deep mid-wicket for a six. Siraj, this time, walked back to his mark without a word.
On the next delivery, Pooran cleared his front leg and smashed a half-volley on leg-stump wide of mid-off for a four and then shook his head with another wry smile on his face. Pooran held the pose in Siraj's direction, he then kissed the bat and blew a flying kiss at the pacer before walking towards Marsh at the other end. Siraj walked back to his fielding position after conceding 20 runs off the over.
Marsh’s first hundred in the IPL and Pooran’s unbeaten 56 off 27 balls powered LSG to 235/2 in their 20 overs.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
