IPL 2020: KXIP vs DC Game Plan 1 – Silencing impact player Pooran

The 38th match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab, could all be about match-ups. Here, we take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the second game of IPL 2020 – KXIP vs DC

KXIP vs DC – Nicholas Pooran and an impactful season

While KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal sit pretty at the top of the run charts, Nicholas Pooran has perhaps been a more impactful player for Kings XI Punjab this season. In the tied game against Mumbai Indians, the West Indian walked in at 75/2 in 9.1 overs with Punjab needing 102 to win at a required rate of 9.71. He made 24 in 12 balls, scoring 72.72% of the runs in the partnership with Rahul while facing just two balls more than him.

Pooran has specialised in these mini-cameos this season. It started with an 8-ball 25 against Rajasthan Royals, a knock that was followed by two more such impactful performances – 44(27) vs MI and 33(17) vs CSK. He stole the show with a 37-ball 77 against Sunrisers Hyderabad as well. But it is those mini cameos from Pooran that will likely become more invaluable now given that Chris Gayle has settled in at no.3 and the top three are all capable of playing through the first half of the batting innings.

This year, Pooran has the third best strike-rate – 181.95 – by any batsman facing at least 50 balls.

That is perhaps putting it very mildly. Touted as a spin hitter, Pooran kind of dispelled the notion that he struggles against pace when he started swatting the quicker men for fun through the leg-side.

This season, he has been remarkably good in taking on every bowling type showing how dangerous he can be. He may not have the greatest of averages against each of them, but given his role in the side, his impact is terrific even if he plays just 10-15 balls in an innings.

                                                                                                   KXIP vs DC – Nicholas Pooran vs different bowling types

Right-arm pacers have dismissed him four times this season, but he has also scored at a very healthy rate against them. In fact, he has scored at over 10 runs per over against every bowling type when facing more than 10 balls.

KXIP vs DC – How do Delhi stop Nicholas Pooran?

Stopping Pooran will be a tough ask for Delhi, but if they manage it before he can make a big impact, they will expose a weak underbelly in the Punjab batting line-up.

Their best bet to do so is one of the two South African pacers. While Pooran has scored heavily against right-arm pace this season, a lot of those have come off deliveries less than 140kmph. When the pace is over 140 clicks, Pooran’s scoring rate drops significantly.

He has faced just 12 balls at a speed of 140kmph or more, but the scoring rate is just 7 as against 12.75 for balls at less than 140kmph. While he has played just two false strokes to balls less than 140 kmph from right-arm pacers, the number shoots up to 5 in 12 balls for balls over 140 kmph.

ALSO READ the game plan from the previous fixture – Ashwin in the powerplay a ploy to stop Agarwal and Gayle?

Delhi can bring one of Kagiso Rabada or Anrich Nortje to attack Pooran with short balls. The left-hander isn’t too comfortable with pacy bouncers and Rabada and Nortje thrive on those. This season in the middle overs, Rabada has three wickets when bowling short balls or bouncers and has induced 12 false strokes off 21 balls!

Rabada, as such, is perhaps a better bet in the middle overs than Nortje despite there being the risk of using up one additional over from Rabada that leaves him with one less in the death overs when his impact is maximum. If Rabada indeed gets Pooran, Delhi will have exposed the lower middle-order and it’s less risky to give an additional over to someone like Tushar Deshpande. Having Pooran play more than 10 balls is a lot riskier.

In the middle overs this season, Rabada has been sensational, especially when bowling the one designated over to get rid of a dangerous batsman. He had success in such match-ups right through the season as evident from the batsmen he has dismissed in these middle overs – Andre Russell, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Suryakumar Yadav are five of his eight victims in this phase.