| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1995-10-02)2 October 1995 (age 30) Couva,Trinidad and Tobago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper-batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| ODI debut (cap 190) | 20 February 2019 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 7 July 2023 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 64) | 23 September 2016 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 19 December 2024 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012/13–2023/24 | Trinidad and Tobago[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Barbados Tridents | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Khulna Titans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Punjab Kings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Guyana Amazon Warriors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–present | Trinbago Knight Riders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022/23–2023/24 | Rangpur Riders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–present | Lucknow Super Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–present | MI New York | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:CricInfo,10 April 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicholas Pooran (/ˌpuːrɑːn/; born 2 October 1995) is a Trinidadiancricketer who represented theWest Indies cricket team in limited overs formats till 2024 and served as the team's captain. He also competes domestically forTrinidad and Tobago and plays for theLucknow Super Giants in theIndian Premier League (IPL). Pooran made his international debut for the West Indies in September 2016. In May 2022, he was appointed captain of the West Indies limited-overs team. He stepped down from the captaincy in November 2022. In June 2025, he announced his retirement from international cricket.
FromCouva,[1] Pooran attendedNaparima College inSan Fernando, and played for the school's cricket team.[2] A left-handedwicket-keeper/batsman, he represented Trinidad and Tobago at various underage and schoolboys tournaments, and made his national under-19 debut at the 2012 regional tournament, aged only 16.[3]
Pooran debuted for theWest Indies under-19s in October 2013, in a bilateral series against theBangladesh under-19s, and went on to play at the2014 Under-19 World Cup.[4] The team's vice-captain and primary wicket-keeper, he scored 303 runs from six matches, ranking fourth for total runs and leading the West Indies' averages.[5][6]
This included half-centuries againstCanada andIndia, and an innings of 143 runs againstAustralia (from a team total of 208 all out), which was the highest score of the tournament and was subsequently described as "one of the most memorable innings under pressure in the tournament's history".[7][8] Pooran's innings was the highest ever under-19 ODI score against Australia, and his 136-run ninth-wicketpartnership with Barbadian Jerome Jones was a record for all under-19 matches.[9]
Before playing at international under-19 level, Pooran had played four matches for Trinidad and Tobago in the domestic one-dayRegional Super50 competition, in February and March 2013.[10]
Prior to theinaugural 2013 CPL season, he was selected in the Red Steel squad, Trinidad's CPL franchise, at age 17 was the youngest player in the competition.[11] On debut against theGuyana Amazon Warriors, he scored 54 from 24 balls, an innings which included six sixes and was noted for its "clean, calm stroke play" and "uninhibited aggression".[12][13] Pooran's batting was less successful for the remainder of the tournament, and also at the2013 Champions League, where he represented the Trinidad and Tobago national side rather than the Red Steel franchise.[14]
He again played for the Red Steel during the2014 CPL season, but is yet to score any further half-centuries.[15] Pooran made hisfirst-class debut for Trinidad and Tobago against theLeeward Islands in November 2014, during the 2014–15 season of theRegional Four Day Competition.[16]
In his second match, againstJamaica, he top-scored with 55 runs in T&T's second innings, before being one ofNikita Miller's seven victims.[17] At club level, Pooran plays for Clarke Road in the Trinidadian leagues.[18]
He also played part of the 2014 season in Ontario, representing the Redemption Sports Club in the Etobicoke & District Cricket League.[19]
In January 2015, Pooran was involved in a road accident inSt. Mary's, Trinidad, sustaining ankle and knee injuries. He was ruled out for both the remainder of Trinidad and Tobago's domestic season and the2015 Caribbean Premier League.[20]
In June 2018, he was named in theCricket West Indies B Team for theinaugural edition of theGlobal T20 Canada tournament.[21] In July 2020, he was named in theGuyana Amazon Warriors squad for the2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL).[22][23] On 30 August 2020, in the CPL fixture against theSt Kitts & Nevis Patriots, Pooran scored his first century in a T20 match.[24]
Pooran was later appointed captain of theTrinidad and Tobago Red Force for the2022–23 Super50 Cup.[25] He steered the T&T Red Force to an eventual runners up spot against theJamaica Scorpions in the final. Pooran was later named to the 2022 CG United Super50 Cup "Team of the Tournament."[26]
In February 2017, he was bought by theMumbai Indians team for the2017 Indian Premier League for INR 30lakhs but didn't play any match in the whole season.[27]
Pooran Played forIslamabad United in2017 Pakistan Super League as he was drafted in as a replacement of England'sBen Duckett in United's squad. He joined the team ahead of play-offs.[28] He made his debut againstKarachi Kings.
Pooran went unsold in the2018 IPL auction after setting his base price at INR 50 lakhs.[29]
In October 2018, he was named in theSylhet Sixers team, following the draft for the2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League.[30] He was the leading run-scorer for the team in the tournament, with 379 runs in eleven matches.[31]
In December 2018, he was bought by theKings XI Punjab in theplayer auction for the2019 Indian Premier League for 4.2crore ($590,000).[32][33] Pooran had an excellentIPL 2020 season as he scored a total of 353 runs in the 14 matches he played in the season.[34] He was also the fourth highest six hitter in the 2020 IPL season as he hit 25 sixes altogether in the season.[35] He however scored only 85 runs inIPL 2021.[36]
In the 2022 IPL Auction, Pooran was bought by theSunrisers Hyderabad for ₹10.75 crore.[37] For 2023, he was bought by theLucknow Super Giants for ₹16 crore in theIPL auction.[38]
In 2023, Pooran was drafted byMI New York for the inaugural season ofMajor League Cricket; in thefinal, he scored 137 runs from 55 balls, contributing to the team's victory, and was named the player of the season.[39][40]
In 2025, Pooran had an extremely successful season with the Lucknow Super Giants, scoring 525 runs for the squad. He was in contention for the Orange Cap as well, which is an award for the player with the most runs in an IPL season. He scored 4 fifties in the season, leading his team.
He made hisTwenty20 International (T20I) debut for the West Indiesagainst Pakistan on 23 September 2016.[41] In November 2018, he was named in the West Indies' squad for theirtour to India.[42] In the third T20I match, he scored an unbeaten 53 runs off just 25 balls to claim his maiden half-century in T20I cricket.[43]
In February 2019, he was named in the West Indies'One Day International (ODI) for their seriesagainst England.[44] He made his ODI debut for the West Indies againstEngland on 20 February 2019.[45] In April 2019, he was named in theWest Indies' squad for the2019 Cricket World Cup.[46][47] On 1 July 2019, in the match againstSri Lanka, Pooran scored his first century in ODIs.[48] He finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer for the West Indies, with 367 runs in nine matches.[49] Following the World Cup, theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) named Pooran the rising star of the squad.[50] In July 2019,Cricket West Indies awarded him with a central contract for the first time, ahead of the 2019–20 season.[51]
In November 2019, during the third ODIagainst Afghanistan, Pooran was found guilty ofball tampering.[52] Pooran admitted the charge, and was banned for four T20I matches.[53]
In July 2021, he was named in the West Indies' squad as the vice captain for their home seriesagainst Australia.[54] AsKieron Pollard was eventually ruled out of the T20I series, Pooran captained the West Indies for thefirst time in T20Is.[55][56] Pooran led the Windies to a 4–1 win over Australia in the T20I series.[57][58][59] In September 2021, Pooran was named as the vice-captain of the West Indies' squad for the2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[60]
During seriesagainst India, Pooran was the highest run scorer in T20I series. He scored 184 runs including three half centuries, highest score of 62. Despite his performance, West Indies lost all three matches.[61]
On 3 May 2022, he was appointed as a captain ofWest Indies national cricket team for the limited overs format.[62] During the third match of theODI series against Pakistan, Pooran took his first wicket in international and ODI cricket, with his final figures being 4 for 48.[63] He was named the captain for theWest Indies squad for the2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, however, the team suffered an early exit in the first round, after losing 2 out of 3 matches and failed to qualify for the Super 12 round. Post-World Cup, on 21 November 2022, Pooran stepped down as the limited-overs captain of the West Indies team.[64]
In May 2024, he was named in the West Indies squad for the2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.[65] In the tournament, he scored 27 runs off 27 balls againstPapua New Guinea,[66] 22 runs off 17 balls againstUganda,[67] and 17 runs off 12 balls againstNew Zealand.[68] His performance against New Zealand propelled him to 1914 runs, surpassingChris Gayle's 1899, and becoming the highest run-scorer for the West Indies in T20I[69] AgainstAfghanistan he scored 98 as theWest Indies defeated them by 104 runs.
In June 2025, Pooran announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29.[70][71]
West Indies squads | |||||||||||||||
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