Nicholas Pooran from the West Indies, the record-holder for most runs and appearances in T20Is, announced his retirement from international cricket on June 10. The 29-year-old shared the news via his Instagram account. Notably, the left-handed batter did not play Tests for the West Indies in his career.
An excerpt from his farewell post reads, “Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field… it’s hard to put into words what that truly means to me,” he wrote. “To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart.”
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The Trinidadian’s journey has been a topsy-turvy one. Pooran faced a setback in late 2019 when he was briefly suspended after admitting to ball-tampering during a match against Afghanistan. However, he bounced back and was named vice-captain of the T20 side around 18 months later for the home series against Australia. He stepped up as stand-in captain when Kieron Pollard was unavailable and led the team to an impressive 4-1 series victory.
In 2022, Pooran was appointed the permanent white-ball captain and led the Maroon jersey to that year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Following a disappointing first-round exit, he stepped down from the role.
He enjoyed a standout campaign when the West Indies co-hosted the T20 World Cup last year. Nicky surpassed Chris Gayle to become the nation’s leading run-scorer in the shortest format. He also notched up his personal best score in the format, a blistering 98 against Afghanistan.
Over the course of his career, Pooran featured in 106 T20Is, scoring 2,275 runs at an average of 26.14. He also played in 61 ODIs, registering three centuries and featuring in one World Cup.
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