Hyderabad: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday announced that former West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran has been appointed as their new vice-captain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
The West Indies star will take over as captain KL Rahul's deputy from all-rounder Krunal Pandya, who led the team to play the eliminator which they eventually lost to Mumbai Indians. The 31-year-old southpaw Pooran was presented the vice-captain's jersey with the number 29 on the back at an event.
Pooran, who represents Durban Super Giants in the South Africa T20, is renowned for his explosive power hitting and exceptional wicket-keeping or fielding skills. He has been a key player in the T20 format globally. He has played for Punjab Kings (₹4.2 crore) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (₹10.75 crore), before joining Lucknow Super Giants in 2023 for a whopping ₹16 crore.
Pooran played ahead of South Africa's Quinton de Kock last season, purely because of his match-finishing brilliance. He appeared in all 15 games for LSG in IPL 2023, scoring 358 runs, with two half-centuries, at an impressive strike rate of 172.94.
The left-hand batter led MI Emirates to their maiden ILT20 title victory earlier in February. He has also captained his national side in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Notably, Krunal Pandya had filled in for Rahul when the captain was out for a few games in both the first and second seasons. Pandya won three and lost two of his six matches as captain, with one match ending in a no-result.
Meanwhile, the LSG are hopeful that their captain Rahul, who is currently injured, will be available for the season, starting on March 22. Rahul has now travelled to London to get an expert opinion on his quadriceps injury. He needs to be fully fit before the IPL where he will lead Lucknow Super Giants and is expected to bat in the middle order to bolster his chances of making the India squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean. LSG start their campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 24 in Jaipur.
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