Lucknow: It was a big shock to world cricket when West Indies white-ball star Nicholas Pooran announced his retirement from international cricket in June 2025 at age 29. The explosive left-hander, who was the top-ranked West Indies T20I batter, finished his nine-year career with 167 appearances, 2,275 T20I runs, and 1,983 ODI runs.
Pooran’s retirement was a disappointment for West Indies cricket too, but for a franchise like Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, it was a happy moment as the batter is now focused on professional cricket.
Undoubtedly, Pooran has become one of the most valuable batters in the Lucknow Super Giants set-up. His explosive form makes him a central figure in their plans for the new IPL season and in a way he is a game changer for the side. He also happens to be one of 19 players to have scored more than 10,000 runs.
Last year, Pooran was one of the standout performers for the Super Giants, scoring more than 500 runs with a strike rate over 196, which was the second-best in the competition. Even in his debut season for LSG in 2024, he scored 499 runs at a strike rate of 178.21.
Pooran began his IPL journey in 2019 with 168 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 169.71 for Punjab Kings. He grew in stature, scoring 353 runs in the 2020 season before hitting his lowest total of 85 in 12 matches in 2021. Thereafter, he kept scoring over 300 runs in the next four seasons, including 534 in 2025 at a strike rate of 196.25.
Pooran’s importance to LSG goes beyond raw numbers. He has built a reputation as a clean striker of the ball, especially in the middle and death overs. His 2025 season showed just how destructive he can be when he gets going. His blistering 70 off 26 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the previous IPL season underlined why he is viewed as one of the side’s batting mainstays.
Pooran, who has so far played for 30 different teams, including franchise cricket, has already shown he can dominate pace and spin alike. His recent run of form suggests he can remain one of the league’s most dangerous finishers. If he bats with the same freedom and confidence, LSG will again have a reliable force in pressure chases and late-innings acceleration.
Better known for his perfect six-hitting approach, Pooran attributed his success to hard work, evolution, and staying present, rather than chasing sixes at the end of the IPL season in 2025. “If the ball is in my slot, I try to go for it. My on-field performance is a direct result of intense practice, specifically targeting different deliveries from bowlers.”
He has embraced the pressures of being an overseas professional and learned to manage expectations. Pooran highlighted that while technical skills matter, mental clarity was crucial for consistent performance. Even he credited LSG for providing the “freedom to be myself,” which helped him flourish. “I just like the fact that, okay Nicholas, this is your job. You need to do it well. I believe I am a much better player now, and I learnt a lot from that IPL season.”
As the head coach of LSG, Justin Langer was excited to have Pooran retained by LSG in the 2025 auction. “Nicholas Pooran is a dynamic player in world cricket and we can’t wait to see him in action again,” Langer was quoted as saying.
The coach also described Pooran as a utility player in the team.”Pooran is a key part of LSG and his partnership with the top-order with Mitchell Marsh has redefined LSG’s potential and provided explosive power to the side,” adding “He capitalises on match-ups and his consistent ability to score quickly in the IPL is something very great.”
