The upcoming 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 is around the corner and like every season, this edition will also prove a wonderful platform for many, especially youngsters to help boost their careers.
Ahead of the IPL 2020, which starts in the United Arab Emirates on 19th September, former Indian cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir has named a promising young talent to watch out for and even likened him to South African and RCB legend AB de Villiers.
Gambhir named the dynamic West Indian left-hander Nicholas Pooran, who will be seen in action for the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the upcoming IPL 13, he would like to watch in the upcoming tournament.
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Showering rich praise on the young southpaw, who has established himself as one of the fiercest stroke makers of the modern era in a very short span of his career, former KKR captain said Pooran is the imprint of the legendary de Villiers when it comes to 360-degree strokeplay.
Former Indian opener further went on to claim that Pooran’s caliber would only blossom under the leadership of Anil Kumble, who is serving as KXIP’s coach cum mentor in the IPL 2020.
Gambhir said on Star Sports’ chat show Cricket Connected: “For me, Nicholas Pooran is the young player I would like to watch in this IPL. We talk about AB de Villiers as a 360-degree player but Nicholas Pooran has all types of shots. He can play the reverse sweep, normal sweep, and is capable of playing the big shots.”
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He further added, “So, such a player, when he plays under a coach like Anil Kumble, I have full confidence that Anil Kumble will be able to extract the best out of him. A great coach, who had won Mumbai Indians the title, I would want to see what he can do with the Kings XI.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Scott Styris also heaped praise on Pooran while saying the KXIP can utilize the batsman’s talent to the fullest by making the youngster bat up the order.
Styris signed off by saying, “Players like Nicholas Pooran, who we have seen in the IPL, need to have bigger roles for their side. I think for Kings XI Punjab to have a big tournament, he needs to be given real responsibility. He needs to be moved up, not quite to the top of the order but certainly given a majority of the deliveries in the innings.”
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)
