Nicholas Pooran shocked fans by retiring from international cricket at just 29. Pooran played the most T20I matches for the West Indies and is also the highest run-scorer for the country in the format.
“This was very difficult, but I have thought long and hard about this,” Nicholas Pooran wrote on Instagram.
“After much thought and reflection, I’ve decided to announce my retirement from International Cricket. 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 continued.
“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 added.
His exit is a big blow, especially when the team is trying to rebuild after missing the 2023 ODI World Cup. In 2023, he hit the most sixes in T20s (170). During IPL 2025, scored over 500 runs with 40 sixes, the highest this season.
He didn’t play Test matches and debuted in T20Is in 2016, followed by ODIs in 2019. He hasn’t played an ODI since the World Cup qualification miss.
Pooran also captained the team in 2022 but won only 8 out of 30 games. He stepped down after West Indies’ early exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup.
With the next T20 World Cup only eight months away, West Indies must now find a strong middle-order replacement.
His fans expressed their frustration over his retirement.
“Whyyyy Nicky?? this is not done.. You’re one of my most favorite player from WI, For the upcoming WI tour of India , I was soo excited!! But this breaks my heart,” wrote an Indian fan.
“At 29, I could never accept this as a Trinidadian and West Indian, you have so much more to give the people of the Caribbean,” came from another fan.
Nicholas Pooran at IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹21 crore, and he proved his worth. Once the strongest contender for Orange Cap, Nicholas Pooran lost his flow as IPL 2025 progressed. He scored 524 runs in 14 matches with a massive strike rate of 196.25, his best ever in IPL. However, LSG started losing matches, and Pooran became inconsistent.
The bulk of his 524 runs came in the first half of the tournament. In his last 8 innings, he scored 30+ runs in just two matches.
