“This was very difficult” - LSG’s Caribbean star announces shock international retirement at 29 after IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Caribbean star Nicholas Pooran announced a shocking retirement from international cricket at the age of just 29. Pooran featured in the recently concluded IPL 2025 season.
Given his age, it comes as a surprising decision. Nicholas Pooran announced with a post on his official Instagram handle.
“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. 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," he wrote in a long post.
“To the fans – thank you for your unwavering love. You lifted me in the tough moments and celebrated the good ones with unmatched passion. To my family, friends, and teammates – thank you for walking this journey with me. Your belief and support carried me through it all. 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," he added.
Nicholas Pooran made his international debut for the West Indies in 2016 in a T20I against Pakistan. His ODI debut came against England in 2019.
Nicholas Pooran walks away as the most capped T20I player for West Indies
Nicholas Pooran retires as the most capped T20I player for the West Indies. He made 106 appearances in the format, scoring 2275 runs at an average of 26.14 and a strike-rate of 136.39 with 13 half-centuries to his name.
The left-hander also played 61 ODIs and scored 1983 runs at an average of 39.66 and a strike-rate of 99.15 with three hundreds and 11 fifties.
Pooran will now be seen playing T20 franchise cricket across the globe. The star batter has already featured in several leagues so far. He has played 398 T20 matches and has piled on 9166 runs at a strike-rate of 150.53 with three hundreds and 56 fifties.
Nicholas Pooran was retained for a massive ₹21 crores by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 season. He displayed solid form, scoring 524 runs from 14 matches at an average of 43.66 and a strike-rate of 196.25 with five half-centuries.