Nicholas Pooran, West Indies’ Twenty20 record-holder for runs and appearances, retired from international cricket on Monday (June 10, 2025).
Pooran, 29, made the announcement on Instagram.
“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.”
Pooran was suspended briefly in late 2019 after admitting to ball-tampering against Afghanistan, and overcame that to be named West Indies T20 vice-captain about 18 months later for a tour by Australia. But he became captain when Kieron Pollard couldn’t play, and led the team to a 4-1 series win.
In 2022, he was named the permanent white-ball captain and took the team to that year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, but in fallout from a first-round elimination he resigned.
He starred when the West Indies hosted the T20 World Cup last year, overtaking Chris Gayle as the team’s all-time leading scorer, and hitting his highest T20 score, 98 against Afghanistan.
Pooran played 106 T20s for 2,275 runs at an average of 26.14. He also played 61 one-day internationals, including three centuries and one World Cup.
Cricket West Indies praised Pooran as a game-changer, and with “sincere gratitude and appreciation … for his outstanding contributions. His performances on the field and influence within the team have made a lasting impact on West Indies cricket.”
Published – June 10, 2025 07:18 am IST
