The only misstep from Nicholas Pooran on a manic night at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday was in the press conference area where he slipped and fell after his cricket spikes didn’t hold up well on the glazed flooring.

On the field, the 27-year-old didn’t put a foot wrong, scoring a dashing half-century (62, 19b, 4×4, 7×6) to help Lucknow Super Giants edge Royal Challengers Bangalore by one wicket and record its third victory in four games.

“It wasn’t a surprise for me,” said the Trinidadian, who came into bat with LSG requiring 114 runs from 56 balls. “It was a good cricket pitch with small boundaries. I did not think much about the situation. I just wanted to hit a couple out of the park, and that got me going.”

“I had to take the chance against the leg-spinner [Karn Sharma]. And that was the rest of the innings, where everything flowed. I got out at the wrong time and that is something I want to get better at.”

In the past, Pooran has flattered to deceive. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2022 mega auction for ₹10.25 crore, only to be released after a mediocre season. But LSG trusted his talent and paid a whopping ₹16 crore, and he has given a good glimpse of what he is capable of.

“T20 is a difficult game, and experience plays a massive role,” Pooran said. “I’ve struggled for the last 6-7 years in finishing games. I’ve made bad decisions and cost my team. It’s a learning curve, and I’m happy I could come up with a match-winning performance.”