Former India spin legend Harbhajan Singh, now part of the IPL 2025 commentary panel, has weighed in on one of T20 cricket’s most debatable questions—who is the best T20I batter right now?

Is it Australia’s in-form explosive opener Travis Head, India’s rising star Abhishek Sharma, or the ultra aggressive Jake Fraser-McGurk? No, says Harbhajan.

His pick? Nicholas Pooran

The former off-spinner declared his choice on social media after Nicholas Pooran’s latest blitz for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025. “Currently Nicholas Pooran is the best player of T20 format. Period!” he posted on X.

Presenting the batter’s T20I stats, Harbhajan declared Pooran as the best T20 player in the world right now, following his electrifying start to IPL 2025 with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Continuing his red-hot form, the 29-year-old West Indian has smashed 145 runs in just two matches, including a 26-ball 70 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and a 75 from 30 balls vs Delhi Capitals. He currently holds the Orange Cap, with a strike rate of 258.92 and average of 72.50.

After his destructive knock against SRH, Nicholas Pooran has became the second player after KL Rahul to score over 1000 runs for LSG. He reached the milestone in just 31 matches, averaging 45.54 at a destructive strike rate of 184.53.

Known for his effortless power-hitting, Pooran holds the record for the most IPL fifties scored in under 20 balls—doing so four times, more than any other player. He recently smashed an 18-ball half-century, second-fastest for LSG, only behind his own 15-ball effort from IPL 2023.

When it comes to speed, Pooran leads again—holding the record for most IPL fifties in under 20 balls (4). Travis Head and Fraser-McGurk have managed this feat three times each.

In a tournament full of hard-hitters, Pooran isn’t just keeping pace—he’s setting it.

Following Sunrisers Hyderabad’s five-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025, SRH’s destructive wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen has defended team’s batting depth, saying team doesn’t rely solely on Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma duo.

Travishek, a standout pair from SRH’s IPL 2024 campaign with 736 runs across 16 innings, couldn’t deliver as expected on March 27. Abhishek fell early in the third over, and although Head managed a quick 47 off 28 balls, SRH’s total of 190 fell short on a batting-friendly Hyderabad pitch.

Dismissing the team’s overdependence on Travishek, Klassen acknowledged that Travishek’s aggressive starts put early pressure on opponents, easing the job for the middle order.

 “Not at all,” Klaasen said during the post-match press conference. “If we look at our batting lineup, we are destructive till batter No.8. We don’t need Travis and Abhishek to come off every time. We’re good enough to score without them as well,” he said.

“You will never have a season where both of them will score more than 1000 runs. It’s the way we play—a bit on the riskier side,” Klaasen added.

SRH, who batted first, were restricted to 190 despite good intent shown early on. Klaasen felt the score was underwhelming considering the surface.

“We didn’t score enough runs. 210-220 was par score. One or two unlucky dismissals hurt us. One was caught down the leg side, another was deflected onto the stumps off the bowler’s hand. But that’s part of the game,” he said.

The wicketkeeper-batter remains confident in SRH’s depth and ability to recover from setbacks. The team is set to take on Delhi Capitals in their next match on March 30 in Vizag.

Nicholas Pooran turned his early fielding lapse into a match-defining performance with the bat as Lucknow Super Giants handed Sunrisers Hyderabad a five-wicket defeat in a high-scoring Indian Premier League clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

After dropping Travis Head at long-on when the batter was on 35, Pooran more than made up for it with a ferocious unbeaten 70 off just 26 balls, laced with six fours and six sixes. His fireworks, coupled with Mitchell Marsh’s fluent 52 off 31 balls, helped Lucknow chase down a steep 191-run target in just 16.1 overs.

Pooran and Marsh’s 116-run second-wicket stand laid the foundation for a comfortable win. While both fell to Pat Cummins eventually, the damage had already been done, leaving Lucknow with a simple 53 needed off 55 balls — a task easily completed by David Miller and Abdul Samad with 23 balls to spare.

Shardul Thakur shines with the ball

Earlier in the game, it was Shardul Thakur who set the tone with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 4/34. His twin strike in the third over, removing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan on consecutive deliveries, pegged Hyderabad back early.

Thakur’s smart variations on a slightly slower pitch proved effective. Despite a brief onslaught from Cummins, Thakur returned to dismiss Abhinav Manohar and Mohammed Shami, completing his 100th IPL wicket milestone in the process.

The rest of Lucknow’s bowling unit also held their lines tightly. Young pacer Prince Yadav bounced back well after a forgettable previous outing, dismissing the dangerous Travis Head and assisting in Heinrich Klaasen’s run out. Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Rathi, and Avesh Khan — playing his first match of the season — chipped in with economical spells to restrict Sunrisers to 190/9, a significant drop from their previous total at the same venue.

Missed chances, costly outcome

Despite a reprieve, Travis Head couldn’t capitalise fully, adding just 12 more runs post his dropped catch. Klaasen’s departure in the 12th over was another major blow to Hyderabad’s innings, halting their momentum when a late flourish was most needed.

With this win, Lucknow’s all-round show reaffirmed their depth and balance, particularly with key contributions from players like Pooran, Marsh, and Thakur — all peaking at the right time.