Setup and Stance

Nicholas Pooran adopts a semi-open stance with a strong base and forward lean. As BBC Sport notes,
he “stands with a classical-looking, slightly-open stance” and even taps the ground once before the
spinner’s delivery, indicating a deliberate trigger movement 1 . He keeps his head steady and moving
towards the ball, transferring weight into the shot – Pooran himself emphasizes that “the key is… head
position, head going towards the ball [and] transferring the weight” 2 . In practice this means Pooran
crouches a little with weight on his front foot; his head stays over the ball to track line and length, and
his powerful core allows him to plant his front foot firmly as he plays. This setup (slightly-open feet,
head forward, light trigger) gives him balance and lets his bat swing freely.

Grip and Bat Position (“Hands Away” Technique)

Pooran’s grip and backlift are crucial to his power against spin. He holds the bat with a very strong top-
hand grip – a tight left-hand hold (for the left-hander Pooran) – and keeps his arms extended away from
the body. In fact, analysts describe his backlift as a lateral batting backlift: the bat is lifted toward the
off-side (toward gully/point) rather than straight back. Research confirms this: a true “lateral backlift”
means the bat is pointed toward second slip or gully, with the face aimed toward point 3 . This is
exactly what Pooran does, creating plenty of separation between his hands and body. Power-hitting
coaches call this a “hands-away” position – as cricket coach Julian Wood explains, “take the hands away…
the greater the separation, the more power you generate” 4 . In Pooran’s case, that separation lets
him loop the bat through a wide arc with maximum speed. Indeed, one analysis notes that his strong
top-hand grip and upright elbows mean he “seldom misses the middle of the bat,” giving him clean
timing on big hits 5 . In short, Pooran’s grip is firm (especially his top hand), and his bat starts high
and wide to the off-side, setting up a powerful swing.

Playing Spin: Footwork and Top-Hand Control

Against spin bowling, Pooran uses a combination of aggressive footwork and his hands to dominate.
Early in the delivery he often steps forward or even across the stumps – a deliberate “forward press” –
to get to the pitch of the ball. The cricxtasy analysis describes how he “employs a forward press right
after the ball release,” planting his front foot firmly (often outside the line of the ball) to give room for a
big swing 6 . Once the ball pitches in his slot, he snaps his hips and unleashes the bat with incredible
speed. In this drive, his top hand controls the bat face: it stays firm at the handle, ensuring the blade
meets the ball squarely under his eyes, while his bottom hand and wrists supply the whip for power. For
example, when Pooran drives spinners straight down the ground, he keeps his top hand rigid to guide
the bat, then uses a strong hip rotation and wrist-flick to launch the shot 6 5 .

When the ball is shorter, Pooran shifts weight onto his back foot and rocks back quickly. He then clears
his front leg and executes a violent pull or cut – essentially bringing the bat through in a nearly
horizontal arc. One observer notes his pull shot is “one of its kind,” where he “rocks back in the crease”
and then pulls anything short with a full hip snap 7 . In those shots, the top hand again stays locked
and lifts the bat upwards as he pulls. Essentially, his top hand steers the swing while the bottom hand
and forearms do the majority of the heavy work on contact.

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For the inside-out drive off spin (stepping out and hitting over cover), Pooran similarly uses his top
hand to open the face and direct the ball. He practices stepping across toward balls outside off stump,
creating room in front of square, then lofting the ball over covers. Pooran himself described a practice
shot: “I step across wide off the off stump… and try to hit the ball towards deep midwicket or even
backward square” 8 . In that swing, his top hand maintains the bat’s angle toward his target as he
drives up and over, with his wrists and bottom hand providing the flick-through. This combination of an
open face (hands away) and strong wrist action lets him clear infield gaps easily.

Shot Execution (Lofted & Inside-Out)

Pooran’s top hand is especially critical in lofted drives. When going over the infield, he keeps the top
hand firm and high, essentially “uplifting” the bat so the face stays open long enough to lift the ball.
Rather than scooping, he hits through the arc, letting the bat come through upward from shoulder
height. The top hand acts like a pivot: it holds the bat steady as he rolls the wrists over the line of the
ball. This lets him loft with control – the bat launches upward with the top hand ensuring it doesn’t
slump. In effect, for lofted shots to mid-off or cover, the top hand locks the direction (often with the
bottom hand pulling through) so the ball goes high instead of groundward.

For inside-out shots, stability is again key. The top hand holds the bat-face angle so the ball goes
between mid-off and long-off rather than skewing to the leg side. Pooran’s technique here is to step out
and essentially hit a cover drive on an angle. Coaches often advise to “stay balanced and let the top
hand control the arc” on such shots. Pooran’s practice shows this: he pulls the head in, opens the face
slightly, and then simply lets the bat swing around under control. The result is an inside-out six with
both hands coordinating – top hand guiding, bottom hand whipping.

Differences from Traditional Spin Technique

Pooran’s method differs in several ways from a classic, orthodox approach to spin. Traditional batting
coaching (the “straight backlift”) often teaches lifting the bat straight back and focusing on playing
along the ground or delicate defence. In contrast, Pooran routinely uses a high, looped backlift (toward
gully) 3 and prefers full-blooded strokes. Whereas a typical orthodox batsman might keep both hands
close to the body for control, Pooran emphasizes separation – arms out and ready to snap. Research
has noted that most uncoached young batters adopt a lateral backlift, but formal coaching historically
tries to eliminate it 9 ; Pooran deliberately retains that power-hitting lift. He also targets the shorter
boundary aggressively (step-open and hit deep midwicket) rather than just edging the ball around. In
short, compared to the textbook method (soft hands, straight bat through the line), Pooran plays spin
with hard hands and an attacking frame – a style geared for power. His coach Samit Patel even remarks
that Pooran has trained so extensively that “if the ball lands in a certain area, he has trained… so it is
natural to him [to hit sixes]” 10 , highlighting how practiced his unorthodox moves are.

Practical Tips and Drills

• Adopt an aggressive backlift: Practice lifting the bat toward the off-side (gully/point) with an
open face, rather than straight back 3 . This hands-away separation (bat away from the body)
generates extra bat speed 4 . Try a simple drill: take throwdowns from a coach at off stump and
consciously loop your backlift toward slip before swinging.

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 • Strengthen your top hand: Emphasize drills using only your top hand (left hand for Pooran).
For example, have someone toss you a tennis ball underhand, and use just one hand to bat it.
This builds the top-hand’s grip and control, as Pooran relies on a very firm top-hand hold 5 .

• Forward-press against spin: In the nets, play spin on the front foot. Tap the ground lightly as a
trigger (as Pooran does) and step forward as the bowler releases the ball. Plant your front foot
just outside off stump and drive – this mimics Pooran’s “forward press” and helps meet the ball
on the full 6 .

• Practice loft and inside-out drives: To master lofted drives over cover, have a partner bowl or
throw short, full-length deliveries outside off stump. Step into them and focus on rolling the
wrists to hit up-and-over. For inside-out drives, work on stepping out towards balls pitched on off
stump and driving at mid-off. Place a cone at deep mid-off/backward-square and try to send the
ball around it – Pooran trained this shot specifically 8 .

• Head and body alignment: Follow Pooran’s emphasis on head position. Keep your head still
and in line with the ball when swinging 2 . In training, have someone watch your head (or use
video feedback) to ensure it stays down through impact. A solid head position plus weight
transfer (front-to-back foot) will give your top hand a stable base.

• Wrist-flick exercises: Since Pooran generates huge power with quick wrists, do simple wrist-
strengthening drills. For example, practice hitting flips or toe-taps of a ball so that the wrists
must snap the bat up. This builds the “whip” action Pooran uses.

By combining these methods—lifting wide, gripping firmly, using a forward press, and practicing special
shots—a player can start to emulate Pooran’s spin-hitting technique. Remember, as Pooran advises, the
goal is to get “in good positions” and time the ball rather than overthink 11 . With focused practice on
the hands-away stance and top-hand control, even conventional players can add some of Pooran’s
power-hitting magic.

Sources: Expert analyses and interviews have been cited throughout (e.g. BBC, ICC, The Cricket
Monthly, Cricxtasy) to document Pooran’s technique 1 6 5 3 4 8 2 11 . These break down
his stance, grip and shot execution against spin.

1 10 IPL 2025: Nicholas Pooran nearing T20 batting perfection for Lucknow Super Giants - BBC Sport
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/cwyqgrg2882o

2 'The key to power hitting is...': Nicholas Pooran on the challenges of batting in T20s | Cricket News -
Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/the-key-to-power-hitting-is-nicholas-pooran-on-the-
challenges-of-batting-in-t20s/articleshow/109252032.cms

3 9 ajol.info
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajrs/article/view/149817/139338

4 Power-rangers: Former England cricketer Julian Wood opens up on the art of modern T20 batting
https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2022/Oct/18/power-rangers-former-england-cricketer-julian-wood-opens-
up-on-the-artof-modern-t20-batting-2509183.html

5 6 7 Breaking Down Nicholas Pooran and the method to his T20 madness
https://cricxtasy.com/analysis/nicholas-pooran-method-to-his-t20-madness/

3
 8 Nicholas Pooran: 'The complete T20 batsman can bat at 135, 140 strike rate and then accelerate to

200'
https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1437922/nicholas-pooran---the-complete-t20-batsman-can-bat-at-135--140-strike-
rate-and-then-accelerate-to-200

11 Nicholas Pooran reveals the key behind his six-hitting exploits

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/nicholas-pooran-reveals-the-key-behind-his-six-hitting-exploits