The entire world knows he is unable to hit

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) ‘senseless’ decision-making as one of the factors responsible for their poor run in IPL 2026. He cited the Lucknow-based franchise’s decision to send Nicholas Pooran in the Super Over against Sunil Narine as an example, pointing out that everyone knows the Trinidadian batter is unable to hit his countryman.

LSG, with eight points, finished last after the IPL 2026 league phase, below the Mumbai Indians (MI) on net run rate. They lost 10 of their 14 league games, including a Super Over defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India batter noted that LSG were found wanting in their decision-making in IPL 2026.

“Some decision-making, in which the Nicholas Pooran decision did not make sense. You sent him in the Super Over, and Narine was in front of him. The entire world knows he is unable to hit, but you sent him. Justin Langer came later and tried to justify it, but it didn’t make a lot of sense,” he said.

Chopra pointed out that LSG lacked consistency in their batting order, with Mitchell Marsh being the only player to bat at one spot.

“The inconsistency in terms of your batting order. Only one batter played all 13 games at the same spot, and surprise, surprise, he is also the highest run-scorer for them. That’s Mitchell Marsh. Opening didn’t used to be this team’s problem, but even opening became a problem in the middle because they moved Aiden Markram down the order, and they made Ayush Badoni and Arshin Kulkarni open, and then they made Josh Inglis open,” he elaborated.

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Nicholas Pooran, who was also moved around in the batting order, had an extremely ordinary season.

“They made so many changes that it seemed like it was a game of musical chairs. Everyone was moved up and down in the batting order. Nicholas Pooran started down the order, and then he was sent at No. 3. He scored a fifty at No. 3, but his season was extremely ordinary,” Chopra observed.

Chopra added that Rishabh Pant, who was LSG’s second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2026, also had an ordinary season.

“Mitchell Marsh is at No. 1 and Rishabh Pant is at No. 2 for sure, but there is a difference of 250 runs between the top two run-scorers. Obviously, Rishabh’s season was also ordinary. They should have shown slightly more faith in Mukul Choudhary and Ayush Badoni shouldn’t have been moved from the middle order,” he noted.

With 563 runs at a strike rate of 163.18 in 13 innings, Mitchell Marsh was LSG’s top run-getter in IPL 2026. While Rishabh Pant scored 312 runs at a strike rate of 138.05 in 13 innings, Nicholas Pooran managed 234 runs at a strike rate of 127.86 in 14 innings.

“They don’t have anyone in the spin department’ – Aakash Chopra on LSG’s other issues in IPL 2026

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that LSG lacked a wicket-taking spinner in IPL 2026.

“There was no wicket-taker in spin. It was an absolutely cold spin department – Digvesh Rathi and Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga didn’t come, and M Siddharth played an odd match. They don’t have anyone in the spin department. Eventually, it comes back to bite you,” he said.

The analyst added that LSG, unlike the Gujarat Titans (GT), couldn’t prepare pitches that suited them and didn’t win enough games at their home ground.

“They didn’t make their home a fortress. Since Gujarat has a good pace battery, they started making a green pitch on red soil. They found a formula for success, but they (Lucknow) have still not been able to make Ekana their home. Not doing well at the Ekana is a major problem,” Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra opined that preparing a seamer-friendly pitch at the Ekana Stadium would be a good formula for the Lucknow Super Giants. He pointed out that the franchise has an impressive seam-bowling attack and overseas batters who can do well in those conditions.