Chris Jordan IPL 2021: Why is Nicholas Pooran not playing today’s IPL 2021 match vs CSK?

Nicholas Pooran not playing: Punjab Kings have dropped their overseas batter after his extended lean patch this season.

During the 53rd match of the ongoing 14th season of the Indian Premier League between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings in Dubai, Punjab Kings captain Lokesh Rahul has won the toss and chose to field.

“We will bowl first. That is one of the reasons why we are bowling first as we can have a look at the permutations and combinations to look at. The middle order has tried their best and hasn’t delivered at times. They are all quality players and performed for their respective teams,” Rahul told Star Sports at the toss.

“It is tough to maintain fitness. Whenever we came back for the second leg, we knew we will have back to back games. We had three games in five days. The heat is a factor. The wicket looks good,” Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told Star Sports at the toss while also saying that they haven’t made any change to their Playing XI for this match.

Why is Nicholas Pooran not playing vs CSK?

The only change made ahead of this match is in the form of Kings batter Nicholas Pooran who has been dropped for their last league match to accommodate an extra pacer in Chris Jordan.

In the 12 matches that Pooran has played for PBKS this season, his 85 runs have come at a poor average and strike rate of 7.71 and 111.84 respectively. Readers must note that it is for the second time that Pooran has been dropped by Punjab this season.

Just 1️⃣ change: @CJordan gets his first game of the second phase! #SaddaPunjab #IPL2021 #PunjabKings #CSKvPBKS pic.twitter.com/LEzjIWGJqC

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) October 7, 2021

Playing his first match of the UAE leg, Jordan has a solitary chance of creating any impact for his team. In 12 matches for Kings this season, Jordan has picked 11 wickets at an average of 34.55, an economy rate of 9.38 and a strike rate of 22.09.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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