IPL 2022: 3 teams that may target Nicholas Pooran at the auction

Punjab Kings snapped up Nicholas Pooran with plenty of hope ahead of IPL 2019. However, the left-hander didn't get going despite the opportunities and was released ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

The wicketkeeper-bat captained West Indies in the recent T20I series against Pakistan. He is hugely talented and a match-winner in the shortest format, which makes him a hot property at the upcoming auction.

In 49 T20Is, Pooran has scored 845 runs at a strike rate of 128.03. Although the numbers don't do justice to his talent, he has played a number of key innings.

We take a look at three franchises that may go after Pooran at the auction:

#1 Kolkata Knight Riders

Pooran is a match-winner in the shortest format

KKR released both Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan ahead of the auction, and this opens up an opportunity for Pooran, who can keep wickets and bolster the middle order.

KKR can think of building their team around 26-year-old Pooran in the long run. They have retained Venkatesh Iyer along with Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. With left-handed Iyer at the top, Pooran can be a perfect fit in the middle order.

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#2 Rajasthan Royals

Pooran is equally good in the outfield

Another side that could potentially go after Pooran is the Royals. They already have Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler to take care of wicketkeeping duties, but the addition of Pooran could well ease the pressure on Samson, the captain.

The side can swap wicketkeeping duties around, but having said that, Pooran is an outstanding outfielder as well, and can be a real asset to any team.

With both Buttler and Samson batting in top order, Pooran can bolster the middle order. He has not had the best of records in the IPL, but a new side could give him a new lease of life.

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#3 Mumbai Indians

Pooran can be a great addition to Mumbai Indians

MI have released both Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock, and can well opt for Pooran. With MI also having let go of Hardik Pandya, Pooran can join hands with his Trinidad and Tobago team-mate Kieron Pollard and give the finishing touches to an innings.

Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have the responsibility to get the job done at the top, and MI will need a strong batter to bolster their middle order - an area of concern last season.