Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concerns regarding Nicholas Pooran’s form ahead of IPL 2026. Pooran was retained for a huge amount of INR 21 crore ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction.

The left-hander scored 524 runs in 14 matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 43.67 and a strike rate of 196.25. Meanwhile, Pooran scored 152 in nine innings of SA20 while playing for the Mumbai Indians Cape Town at an average of 16.88 and a strike rate of 142.05.

Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “First, he was playing a season for LSG, where he took the IPL by storm in the first half. But he was not scoring at all in the other half, and then his fortunes have started dipping. He hasn’t been scoring runs in all the leagues he has been playing in, and there is a reason to it. He stopped playing for West Indies and became a freelancer.

“I was recently watching how SA20 was going. He was walking back after getting out, and it seemed like all his energy was drained. There was literally nothing left in him. This freelancing circuit is very unforgiving. They make contracts and play in every league, but there is no attachment to the team or the results that come out of it. To me, it looks like Nicholas Pooran is a little burnt out,” he added.

Ashwin said ICC should allow a particular player to participate in only three leagues in a year.

“It’s not only about the IPL franchises or any other franchises. The ICC or any other rationing body should come out and say if you want to freelance, that’s absolutely fine, but not more than two or three leagues in a year. Many other players will get a chance, and those players can also upskill or enhance themselves.”

LSG will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Delhi Capitals on 1st April at Lucknow.