Nicholas Pooran will face multiple threats against GT.
Nicholas Pooran is no longer the same beast against spin. The trend started midway through last year, and by now, his issues have become too obvious. In 2026, Pooran averages 16 and strikes at 84.21, with three dismissals in 57 balls against spinners.
This includes two wickets in nine deliveries against left-arm spin and one dismissal against off-spin. Not that his numbers vs pace are great, but his regression against slow bowlers has made things trickier for Pooran. This has been constant since the end of the last IPL, and the southpaw’s lack of international cricket might now be showing its drawbacks.
After IPL 2025, Pooran has collectively averaged 26.64 and struck at just 119.52 against spinners. The balls-per-dismissal has shrunk to a mere 22.29, and the balls-per-boundary ratio has risen to 7.28. While all types of spin have troubled him in this period, the issues have been more prominent against off-spin: 23.50 average, 98.42 SR, & 8 dismissals.
Now that his issues against off-spinners are clear, Gujarat Titans should bring Washington Sundar against him straight away. He has underbowled this season, with only 4.1 overs under the belt, but against LHBs, his usage should be higher, especially against someone who has recently developed issues. Apart from Pooran, Rishabh Pant can also have issues with off-spin, so Sundar will get to bowl more against positive matchups.
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Apart from the Sundar threat, Nicholas Pooran also has an unconvincing record against a few other GT bowlers, including Rashid Khan. Rashid has dismissed him thrice in 77 balls, and the batter has a strike rate of just 124.67 and takes as many as seven deliveries for every boundary. The ace spinner has also returned to form and bowled well, particularly against southpaws, with three wickets at 12.33 runs apiece and an economy rate of 7.66 in IPL 2026.
Among other negative matchups for Pooran are Kagiso Rabada, who has removed him four times in 45 balls. He has struck at just 124.44 and lost his wicket every 11.25 deliveries. While Pooran has not batted in the top order this season, GT can look to use an over of Rabada against him if spinners don’t remove him early in the innings.
Notably, Prasidh Krishna has also restricted his run-scoring in a short matchup, even though he hasn’t dismissed Pooran yet. He has struck at just 44 and hasn’t hit any boundaries in 25 balls off Krishna. His shorter lengths into the pitch can trouble Nicholas Pooran, especially since it’s a day game, and the track could be on the slower side.
Only Mohammed Siraj has a poor record against the southpaw. He has dismissed the batter once, but went for a 196.15 strike rate. Pooran hasn’t been in great form for a while, and against several negative matchups, his issues will exacerbate.
So, for GT, the plan should be to bring Sundar straight away after he comes to the crease. Then, Rashid should come from the other end, especially if Pant’s still on the other end. If Nicholas Pooran somehow escapes both, Krishna should look to bounce him out, while Rabada can also come in at some stage.
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