Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran’s unusual non-stumping moment sparks fan reactions in ILT20 thriller. (Credits :"X")

Overview:

Pooran gathered the ball with a simple stumping on offer, but he chose not to remove the bails, leaving everyone stunned. Rashid ended the over without a wicket.

The one-run thriller in Abu Dhabi had pressure meltdown, last-over drama, and a bizarre tactical move. Nicholas Pooran declined to stump Max Holden, and the Vipers responded by retiring him out in the next over.

Holden arrived after Andries Gous went off injured, but his 42 off 36 balls dragged the innings down. At 117/1 while approaching the death overs, the Vipers badly needed a shift in gears.

On the final ball of the 16th over, Rashid Khan went short outside off and Holden charged down trying to cut it away but missed completely. Pooran gathered the ball with a simple stumping on offer, but he chose not to remove the bails, leaving everyone stunned. Rashid ended the over without a wicket.

When the over ended, the Vipers countered with a sharp tactical call, Holden was retired out. Shimron Hetmyer and Dan Lawrence then went after the bowlers, lifting the total to 159/4, which eventually proved just enough in a tense one-run finish.

The Vipers’ move was completely legal. T20 sides frequently retire struggling batters to bring in fresh hitters and keep the tempo high.

There’s also some logic in questioning Pooran’s choice. The laws don’t require a wicketkeeper to finish a stumping, so he was within his rights to keep Holden at the crease if he felt it benefited his side.The moment has been described as a “tactical non-stumping” within cricket circles.

Social media outrage quickly followed, with some users linking the moment to fixing. However, there is no proof of anything improper. Pooran’s move is fully permitted within the laws of the game and highlights how T20 cricket has evolved tactically, with teams using every legal advantage available.

Ultimately, it looked far from a controversy. It felt more like a preview of where franchise cricket is going, a high-level tactical battle where even tiny advantages are chased.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...