One of the cleanest strikers of the ball, Nicholas Pooran has announced a shock retirement from international cricket. At just 29 years old, Pooran has called time on his career, just eight months before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He recently requested a break during the ongoing West Indies tour of England, following a demanding IPL 2025 season.
Nicholas Pooran goes, cricket loses its flavour
Nicholas Pooran really sprung a surprise by calling it a day, considering he was perhaps the best T20 batter for his nation, which is known for having some amazing talents in limited-overs cricket. International cricket is losing its flavour a bit now, with Virat Kohli (Test), Rohit Sharma (Test), Glenn Maxwell (ODIs) and Heinrich Klaasen (all formats) all having announced retirement. Now, Pooran has dropped a bombshell as well.
Having made his T20I debut in 2016, Pooran’s shortest format spanned across 106 matches (most for West Indies). He scored 2,275 runs (most) at a strike rate of 136.39. Over the years, he became a mainstay in the West Indies white-ball setup and now he leaves a huge gap in the West Indies middle-order.
“This game we love has given and will continue to give so much – joy, purpose, unforgettable memories, and a chance to represent the people of the West Indies,” Pooran wrote in his statement 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. To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart. Though this international chapter of my career closes, my love for West Indies cricket will never fade. I wish the team and the region nothing but success and strength for the road ahead.”
Pooran leaves a huge void for WI
In ODIs, Pooran made his debut in 2019 and scored 1,634 runs in 59 matches at an average of 36.31, including 11 fifties and a century. However, his 50-over career faded after the West Indies failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, a tournament he was expected to be pivotal in.
Pooran’s decision to retire comes when he is arguably in the form of his life in franchise T20 leagues. In 2023 alone, he hit the most sixes in T20s globally—170, a feat only a few can think of. In IPL 2025, he finally breached the 500-run barrier in a single season, finishing with 511 runs at a strike rate of 178.21 for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). His 40 sixes in the tournament were the most by any batter this year as well.
Pooran was handed the West Indies limited-overs captaincy in 2022 after Kieron Pollard’s retirement. But it was a turbulent reign as he won just 8 of 30 matches across ODIs and T20Is. The 2022 T20 World Cup campaign ended in embarrassment as West Indies crashed out in the first round, prompting Pooran to step down from leadership.
Pooran’s retirement leaves a gaping hole in West Indies’ T20 setup. With the 2026 T20 World Cup less than a year away, and with the Caribbean co-hosting the event alongside the USA, his absence will be deeply felt in both leadership and firepower.
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