New Delhi: The IPL 2026 clash between Lucknow Supergiants and Kolkata Knight Riders turned out to be a gripping thriller. Rinku Singh led Kolkata Knight Riders to an easy win over Lucknow Super Giants in the first Super Over of IPL 2026 on Sunday. LSG managed just one point in the Super Over while KKR were targeting two points. In reply, Singh hit four runs off the first ball to seal the victory for KKR.LSG, who batted first in the Super Over, were heavily criticized for sending out players Nicholas Pullan Against KKR at that crucial moment.Pooran, who has already struggled with the bat this season, was dismissed by Sunil Narine on the first ball of the super over.Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn has not hesitated to criticize LSG’s decision to field Pram, which backfired badly on the Rishabh Pant-led side.Stein called the move “criminal.”“Three super players, three ducks in Nicholas Pooran in the IPL. So, yes, absolutely. Will you field anyone else? Of course. You have players like Mickey Marsh, Ritha Pantand Mukul Chowdhury. Considering Pooran’s recent performance, there are other options,” Stan told broadcaster JioHotstar.
“He hasn’t scored more than 30 or 40 runs this season, I don’t know the exact number, but it’s almost a criminal decision to let him bat the first ball in a super over to score you runs,” he added.“Both scenarios are fine, but at this stage of the season, when you’re hungry to win, you’re not going to field a batsman who hasn’t bowled all season. You’re going to go with guys who have batted well, guys you trust to clean up the ropes, or at least come back and do the job. I don’t even think Nicholas Pooran believes he can do that right now; he’s in such bad shape,” Stein said.“It’s unfortunate because he’s such a good player. But when you’re trying to revive your season, you can’t afford mistakes like that, especially at this level,” he added.Shortly after Pooran was sacked, Stein also wrote on social media: “If he fell out of the boat, he couldn’t make it into the water. Tough times.”With Sunday’s loss to KKR, LSG have slipped to the bottom of the table with just four points from eight games.
