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The Indian Premier League begins in less than a week, and the excitement level is high not just for the cricketers, but also for the fans who will see their favorite stars in action. Two new teams were added last year as the tournament is now contested between 10 teams, and both teams put forth impressive cricket, thereby making it to the playoffs in the first go.

While the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans made their way into the finals and lifted the prestigious trophy, KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants lost the second eliminator against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and were knocked out of the race to the finale. But ahead of the IPL 2023, the franchise managed to get some top-tier players at the auction to bolster their squad.

The biggest buy for LSG at the auction this time was Caribbean star Nicholas Pooran, who was sold to the franchise for a whopping INR 16 crore. Pooran had not been at his best during the T20 World Cup, but after giving up the captaincy mantle for his national side, he performed brilliantly in the T20 league tournaments that followed, thereby making a mark.

A power-hitter like Pooran requires mentoring: Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif believes that Nicholas Pooran can be a game changes for the Super Giants, and can also prove his worth on days when openers Rahul and Quinton de Kock fail to fire. For that to happen, Kaif believes that the wicketkeeper-batter from West Indies should not be loaded with pressure and that the LSG management and skipper Rahul should handle him well.

“I feel Gautam Gambhir and KL Rahul should give Pooran a free hand to play because a player like this cannot be pushed beyond a limit. You also cannot expect them to win you every match. You can set proper expectations with him, like if he is here to play 14-15 league matches, and if he makes Lucknow win 4-5 games, it’s sufficient,” Kaif told Star Sports.

“Every time a player like Pooran loses his wicket, we think he didn’t do well. But a power-hitter like Pooran requires mentoring, be supportive with gestures like an arm around the shoulder and motivate them to bring their natural game to the next match,” he added.

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