Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) enjoyed an explosive start in their IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium on May 4. After being sent in to bat first, the visitors were off to a flyer as Nicholas Pooran, who was promoted to the number three spot for the first time this season, ran riot with the bat. Pooran delivered a batting masterclass, bludgeoning a 16-ball half-century and eventually finishing with a blistering 63 off just 21 deliveries.
Nicholas Pooran breaks Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's record
With this knock, Pooran reached a significant milestone in IPL history, moving into second place for the most half-centuries scored in under 20 balls. By securing his fifth such fifty, he surpassed the record previously held by 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has achieved the feat four times. The list is currently led by Sunrisers Hyderabad star Abhishek Sharma, who holds the top spot with six lightning-fast fifties.
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Despite Pooran’s individual brilliance, the season has been a grueling one for the Lucknow franchise. Heading into this clash, the side sat at the bottom of the points table in 10th place, having managed only two victories in their first eight matches. The lack of consistency has put them on the brink of elimination, making every remaining fixture a high-stakes battle for survival.
While their playoff hopes are fading, the squad led by Rishabh Pant remains mathematically in the hunt for a knockout berth. To keep the dream alive, the Super Giants must produce a perfect run in their remaining games, relying on miraculous individual performances and favorable results from other matches.
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Batters with most fifties in less than 20 balls in IPL:
6 - Abhishek Sharma
5 - Nicholas Pooran*
4 - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Coming back to the match, besides Pooran's blitzkrieg Mitchell Marsh cracked a solid 25-ball 44 which was well coupled with Aiden Markram's 25-ball 31 to power LSG to a big total of 228/5.