Nicholas Pooran’s exit from cricket has left the sport’s fraternity and its fans in dire shock. At just 29, the Trinidadian batsman said that retiring from the international circuit is “difficult”.
One of the most explosive batsmen of modern T20 cricket bid adieu to international cricket after already having opted out of selection for West Indies’ T20I series against England.
Pooran debuted for the West Indies T20 cricket team in 2016 and went on to play franchise cricket including that for Indian Premier League, Big Bash League and Pakistan Super League. However, he has not played a single Test match for his country. In the most recent outing, the the left-handed-batsman played for the Lucknow Super Giants, showcasing his power in the shortest format of the game.
Here’s a peek into his fiery career:
Nicholas Pooran: Career highlights, stats & records
- Pooran, who played 167 matches across formats for the West Indies between 2016 and 2024, holds the record for the most T20I runs by a West Indian, scoring 2,275 runs at a strike rate of 136.39.
- He overtook Chris Gayle during the 2024 T20 World Cup, becoming the team’s highest scorer in the format. In One-Day Internationals, he accumulated 1,983 runs at an average of 39.66 and a strike rate of 99.15.
- The Trinidadian played his final international match in December 2024. He made his debut in a T20I against Pakistan in 2016 and later debuted in ODIs in 2018.
- Pooran also featured in the West Indies U19 squad for the 2014 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
- He was appointed vice-captain during the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup and led the side in both white-ball formats for a brief period in 2022.
Over his T20I career, he set multiple records:
- 5th in the world for most sixes in T20I career (149),
- 3rd in most consecutive T20I innings without a duck (71),
- 8th in most T20I catches (53),
- 10th in most dismissals as a wicketkeeper in T20Is (61).
- Most capped T20I player for West Indies (106 matches),
- Highest run-scorer for West Indies in T20Is (2,275)
Batting & Fielding records
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| ODIs | 61 | 58 | 8 | 1983 | 118 | 39.66 | 2000 | 99.15 | 3 | 11 | 157 | 80 | 23 | 2 |
| T20Is | 106 | 97 | 10 | 2275 | 98 | 26.14 | 1668 | 136.39 | 0 | 13 | 152 | 149 | 63 | 8 |
| FC | 5 | 10 | 0 | 319 | 69 | 31.90 | 473 | 67.44 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| List A | 98 | 91 | 17 | 3048 | 118 | 41.18 | – | – | 4 | 17 | – | – | 52 | 2 |
| T20s | 398 | 372 | 61 | 9166 | 102* | 29.47 | 6089 | 150.53 | 3 | 56 | 619 | 639 | 230 | 35 |
Source: ESPNCricinfo
