- May 4, 2025
It’s just that there’s something about the IPL that creates beautiful pandemonium in cricket. It’s the pressure, the names, the rivalries. And then in 2025, the PBKS vs LSG in Dharamsala, it’s going to be a pressure cooker of a match, and it has a particularly delicious subplot: can Yuzvendra Chahal tame the walloping Nicholas Pooran on a ground where even the mis-hits barely stay in the vicinity of a boundary? It’s spider vs slingshot. Control vs chaos. And as both teams are looking to dominate the clash, this mini-battle could eclipse the whole match.
Pooran’s Patchy Form: LSG’s Fortune Cookie?
Nicholas Pooran
Let everyone be realistic. Nicholas Pooran is almost a cheat code when he is in form. Lucknow Super Giants‘ early success this season came on the back of Pooran’s carnage. But in the last four games? Quiet bat, quiet dressing room. Pooran’s dimming has not only affected his numbers, but it has also shown up in Lucknow’s W column. And that has not gone unnoticed.
He’s the type of player who doesn’t just score runs—he scores runs that change the game. A quick-fire 40 off 20 from Pooran isn’t a cameo—it’s a death nail in the coffin for the opposition’s confidence. So, stopping him is step one for PBKS. That’s where Chahal walks in.
But the form is disappointing. In the time you’ve given up on a player, he can smack a 70 off 30. Dharamsala, with its postcard and short boundaries, is a place where someone can get back into beast mode. So, what can Chahal do?
Chahal’s Dilemma: Float It or Fire It?
Yuzvendra Chahal
Earlier this season, when these two sides met, Pooran was flying, and even though Chahal had a rocky start to the season, he still dismissed him. The dismissal came at the Ekana Stadium, a venue with big boundaries, and anything lofted that is mistimed could easily reach a fielder. But Dharamsala? Well, not so much.
If Chahal were to loop it up and give it air in some sort of fashion like he had in Lucknow, he’d be asking for the ball back out of the valley nearby. The leg-spinner stance of looping it outside off in an attempt to tempt the left-hander’s shot may require some second thinking.
So, what will the ploy be? Probably flatter, quicker stuff angled across, finding the edge of Pooran’s reach. Not exactly Chahal’s comfort zone, but it’s the smart play here. Dot balls will do you no good. You can only hope to dismiss Pooran or pay the price with the bat.
The Matchup Within the Match: Risk, Reward, Repeat
This isn’t just about Chahal versus Pooran. It’s about how PBKS kite-fly around this vulnerability. If Chahal comes on early, he can cash in on Pooran before he is settled in. But if Pooran has 30 off 15? That’s leggie nightmare territory.
Chahal, too, does not bowl many googlies to left-handers, and Pooran understands how that works. The West Indian southpaw will be ready to slog sweep the ball out of the ground after that delivery reaches outside the off-stump height. A surprise googly or a pace-off slider could do wonders. In such close quarters, variety is Chahal’s best friend, even if there is no room for error.
Conversely, Chahal’s experience is his great weapon. He’s been through enough IPL battles to know how to manage the pressure. While the environment is geared to suit the batter, the match-up suits the clever bowler. It’s chess with a cricket ball, and in this case, even one wrong move could be game over.
Can the crafty leg spinner pull it off on a batter’s paradise? Or will Pooran splash colour all over the Dharamsala sky with his bat? One thing is for certain—this isn’t just any old match-up. This is the match-up.
If you were Chahal, what would you do—loop it and hope, or go flat and rely on the error? Let us know in the comments!
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