Former West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran decided to skip an easy stumping chance in an ILT20 match between MI Emirates and Desert Vipers in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 9. Fans questioned the choice not to remove the bails, wondering whether he was being tactically clever or overthinking the moment.
MI Emirates opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Max Holden came to bat at No. 3 when Andries Gous retired hurt. Holden struggled to change gears despite spending time at the crease. By the 16th over, the Vipers were stuttering at 117/1, with Holden on 42 off 36 balls, and needed to start hitting boundaries.
On the last ball of the 16th over, Max Holden stepped out to hit a short, wide delivery but missed it completely. Nicholas Pooran collected the ball cleanly and had the easiest chance to stump him.
However, he allowed Holden to return to the crease. Commentators were shocked, Rashid Khan looked frustrated, and fans immediately questioned the decision. After the over ended, the Vipers made a surprise move of their own.
Even though Pooran had let him stay, Holden was retired out by his team to bring in Sam Curran, who could score faster. The change worked in their favour, as Shimron Hetmyer and Dan Lawrence then added quick runs. That late hitting helped the Vipers post a total of 159/4 in 20 overs.
Tactics? Oneupmanship?Nicholas Pooran chose not to stump Max Holden, but the Vipers had a trick up their sleeve as well, retiring the batter the very next ball.What do you make of this? ?#DPWorldILT20 #AllInForCricket #WhereTheWorldPlays pic.twitter.com/CPK4D0H4lW
— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) December 9, 2025Why Max Holden’s Retirement and Nicholas Pooran’s Non-Stumping Legal?
The Vipers’ decision to retire Max Holden was completely legal and reflects a growing T20 trend where teams pull out a struggling batter to bring in someone who can score quicker. It was simply a tactical move, well within the rules.
Nicholas Pooran’s choice not to stump Holden also falls under strategy. A wicketkeeper is not required to complete a stumping, and Pooran felt it was smarter to keep a slow-scoring batter at the crease rather than dismiss him.
Many fans and analysts began calling it a “tactical non-stumping,” a term that suits the modern, strategy-heavy nature of franchise cricket. However, social media reacted strongly, throwing around “fixing” allegations despite there being no evidence at all.
That's What Happened to Us Tonight - Kieron Pollard
MI Emirates fell short by a single run during the chase. Captain Kieron Pollard said that his bowlers kept the opposition to a manageable score. However, he admitted that his team let the chase slip in the closing stages.
"Obviously, with the ball, I thought the bowlers were brilliant restricting them to 159. The way that we played, I think we didn't play that last five overs particularly well. Not even the last five, but I'd say the last two overs," Pollard said.
"Run-a-ball in the last three overs, I think is something that more often than not you should win, but it continues to show Cricket, once you stay in the fight, you can end up on the losing side, and that's what happened to us tonight."
Also read: "Ready for the third star" - Suryakumar Yadav's India begin T20I series against South Africa with new look
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