Nicholas Pooran is making headlines. The West Indies batsman shocked the world by retiring from international cricket at just 29. Now, he’s been named captain of MI New York in the Major League Cricket league – just 24 hours after hanging up his international boots.
MI New York, the team that won the first season of the MLC, announced the news on social media: “Our team’s new commander is Captain Nicholas Pooran.” The Mumbai Indians, owned by Reliance Industries, also weighed in: “The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. Pooran will take the team to new heights with his captaincy.”
Pooran had a standout season in the 2023 MLC, scoring 388 runs. The third season kicks off on Thursday. He’ll join a star-studded lineup in MI New York, including Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, and Rashid Khan. Pollard was previously the team’s captain.
With 106 T20 matches under his belt for the West Indies, Pooran has scored 2,275 runs at a strike rate of 136.39. He’s also played 61 ODIs, scoring 1,983 runs at a strike rate of 99.15. Pooran never made his Test debut before announcing his retirement from international cricket.
International Career
Pooran opted out of the Caribbean team for the T20 series against England after playing a full season for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025. The West Indies went on to suffer a clean sweep against England. He hasn’t played ODI cricket since the West Indies were eliminated from the 2023 World Cup qualifiers. His last match for the West Indies was in December 2024 against Bangladesh. Pooran has also captained the West Indies team in the past.
MLC Season Ahead
The upcoming MLC season promises to be exciting with Pooran at the helm of MI New York. With his impressive track record and leadership experience, he’s poised to lead the team to victory. As the cricket world adjusts to his retirement from international cricket, fans are eager to see what Pooran will achieve in the MLC.