Shreyas Iyer vs Nicholas Pooran - comparing their stats after 86 IPL matches

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face off in a crucial IPL 2025 clash in the second game of the Sunday doubleheader at Dharamsala on May 4. While the game holds much significance to both teams' playoff chances, a battle within the battle will see two in-form batters, Shreyas Iyer and Nicholas Pooran, go toe-to-toe.

Despite contrasting batting styles, both batters have made a massive impact on PBKS and LSG's wins. Pooran is seventh on the Orange Cap list with 404 runs at an average of 44.88 and a strike rate of 203.01 in 10 matches.

Meanwhile, Iyer has tallied 360 runs at an average of 51.42 and a strike rate of 180.90 in his 10 games. While the duo are neck-and-neck this season, the comparisons through their respective IPL careers could make for interesting reading.

While Iyer started his IPL career in 2015, Pooran played his maiden IPL season in 2019. The West Indian has played 86 IPL games in a relatively young IPL career.

How did Iyer fare at the same stage (86 games) of his IPL career, and who wins the battle of the numbers between the two? Let us find out.

Counting numbers

Shreyas Iyer played his first seven IPL seasons for the Delhi Capitals (DC), with his 86th game being the penultimate outing of the 2021 season. While Iyer predominantly batted in the middle order, Pooran has batted from the top to the lower middle order in his 86 matches.

As a first step of this comparison exercise, let us look at the duo's overall numbers - runs and milestones after 86 IPL games.

Shreyas Iyer vs Nicholas Pooran - Overall Numbers

It is a close call between Iyer and Pooran on overall numbers, with the former holding a slight edge in runs and half-centuries. While the current PBKS skipper has played three more innings, his margin of victory as far as runs and fifties are concerned is disproportionately higher.

Interestingly, neither batter reached the three-figure mark even once in their first 86 IPL games.

Edge: Shreyas Iyer

Greater Impact

Iyer and Pooran have dominated the headlines in the ongoing IPL season with their match-winning knocks. Historically, Pooran has always been considered an x-factor batter with relatively lower consistency until recently. The opposite was the consensus on Iyer - a reliable batter without much x-factor.

Let us find out how factual such narratives were, and who had better impact numbers - average, strike rate, and contribution in victories, through 86 IPL games.

Shreyas Iyer vs Nicholas Pooran - Impact Numbers

The above table reflects a stunning difference between the duo on impact through 86 IPL matches. While Iyer's average of over 31 at a strike rate of 124.13 are fairly impressive, they pale compared to Pooran's 33.95 and 168.58 splits.

Furthermore, the numbers in team wins are similarly one-sided, with Pooran enjoying sweepstakes. Iyer's 40+ average at a strike rate of almost 135 in DC wins is sensational in isolation. However, Pooran averages nearly 50 at a remarkable strike rate of 183.85 in wins through his first 86 IPL games.

Edge: Nicholas Pooran

Clutch numbers

Finally, we shift to how Iyer and Pooran performed in the knockout stages through their first 86 IPL games. While the latter has often been out of the playoffs for most of his IPL career, Iyer led DC to their maiden IPL final in 2020.

Shreyas Iyer vs Nicholas Pooran - Clutch Numbers

Pooran has played only one playoff game in his IPL career, and the outing went as poorly as possible, with him scoring a golden duck against the Mumbai Indians (MI).

On the other hand, Iyer has played six such knockout matches, boasting mediocre numbers with an average of 24 and a strike rate of 105.25. Yet, Iyer's ability to lead DC to the playoffs twice and his numbers being better than Pooran's make him triumphant in the clutch category.

Edge: Shreyas Iyer

Conclusion

As Shreyas Iyer and Nicholas Pooran face off in a potential humdinger tonight, a look back at their numbers over the first 86 matches demonstrates how evenly matched their IPL careers have been. While Iyer boasts slightly better counting and clutch numbers, Pooran earns the crown in the most vital category - impact numbers.

Hence, it would be fair to say that the duo are neck-and-neck in comparison after 86 IPL matches.

Winner: Tie