'Criminal decision': Rishabh Pant faces heat for Nicholas Pooran call

NEW DELHI: The IPL 2026 clash betwixt Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders turned retired to beryllium a gripping thriller. Rinku Singh steered Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfy triumph implicit Lucknow Super Giants connected Sunday successful the archetypal Super Over of IPL 2026.

LSG managed conscionable 1 tally successful the Super Over, leaving KKR with a people of two. In response, Singh smashed a 4 disconnected the precise archetypal shot to seal the crippled for KKR.LSG, who batted archetypal successful the Super Over, faced dense disapproval for sending Nicholas Pooran successful to bat against KKR successful that important moment.Pooran, already struggling with the bat this season, was dismissed connected the precise archetypal shot of the Super Over by Sunil Narine.Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn did not clasp backmost and criticised LSG for the determination to nonstop Pooran in, which backfired severely for the Rishabh Pant-led side.Steyn termed the determination ‘criminal’.“Three Super Overs for Nicholas Pooran successful the IPL, 3 ducks. So, yes, absolutely. Would you nonstop idiosyncratic else? Of course. You’ve got players similar Mitch Marsh, Rishabh Pant, and Mukul Choudhary. Given Pooran’s caller form, determination were different options," Steyn told broadcaster JioHotstar.

"He hasn’t scored much than 30 oregon 40 runs this season, I don’t cognize the nonstop numbers, but to nonstop him successful archetypal shot successful a Super Over to get you runs is astir a transgression decision,” helium added.

“It could person gone either way, but astatine this signifier of the season, erstwhile you’re hopeless to win, you don’t nonstop successful a batter who hasn’t delivered each season. You spell with players who’ve been striking the shot well, guys you spot to wide the ropes, oregon astatine slightest backmost to bash the job. I don’t adjacent deliberation Nicholas Pooran believes helium tin bash it close now; he’s successful specified a atrocious tally of form,” Steyn said.

“It’s unfortunate due to the fact that he’s specified a fantastic player. But erstwhile you’re trying to revive your season, you can’t spend blunders similar that, not astatine this level,” helium added.Soon aft Pooran’s dismissal, Steyn besides took to societal media and wrote: “Couldn’t deed h2o if helium fell retired a boat. Tough times."With the decision against KKR connected Sunday, LSG slipped to the bottommost of the points array with conscionable 4 points from 8 matches.