[Watch] Nicholas Pooran shares heartwarming moment with his adorable daughter after leading MI NY to MLC 2023 title
MI New York (MINY) skipper Nicholas Pooran shared a touching moment with his daughter Alayra K Pooran after winning the grand finale of the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) in Dallas on Sunday, July 30.
Pooran single-handedly led MINY to become champions, scoring a majestic 137* off 55 deliveries against the Seatle Orcas in the summit clash. The southpaw obliterated the bowlers with utter disdain, smashing 10 fours and 13 sixes in his match-winning knock.
Chasing a daunting target of 184, the West Indian made a mockery of the score despite it being a high-pressure game to lead MINY to a comfortable win with seven wickets and four overs to spare.
Post the winning celebrations, Nicholas Pooran walked toward his wife, Kathrina Miguel, before sharing a cute moment with his adorable daughter.
Here is a video of the heartwarming moment between the two:
Pooran and his wife welcomed their daughter into the world earlier this year. The couple, who were childhood friends, married in 2021 after dating for more than six years.
Coming to the action on the field, the 27-year-old recorded the fastest half-century of the tournament in only 16 deliveries. However, unlike previous occasions when he has tended to throw his wicket away before the finish line, Pooran ensured he stayed till the end and got the team over the line.
It was only the second century of the competition after Heinrich Klaasen and brought to an end a captivating inaugural season of MLC.
Nicholas Pooran also skippered the MINY side in the absence of regular captain Kieron Pollard due to injury through the playoff stages, leading them to three consecutive victories in the qualifiers and the final.
"You are going to bat like Nicky P, I told myself" - Nicholas Pooran
MINY skipper Nicholas Pooran spoke about backing himself and his skills before going out to bat in the side's stunning victory against the Seatle Orcas in the grand finale.
The 27-year-old was in sparkling form, with two half-centuries in the competition entering the summit clash. However, he cemented himself in T20 history with one of the best knocks in a final.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, an overjoyed Pooran hailed the side's character for overcoming the loss of their regular captain and other key players.
"Chatting today we spoke about creating history. We lost our captain, and a couple of players. At the end of the day, I am proud as everyone contributed. We knew it was a good batting wicket, we were prepared for this moment from a week ago," Pooran said.
He continued:
"We had to be confident and believe in each other. We got over the line today, we were been put under pressure earlier this week. You are going to bat like Nicky P, I told myself, and backed my skill. I just had to execute my skills, I have been working on it since the last 5-6 years. It was really special for me."
Nicholas Pooran finished an exemplary season as the leading run-scorer, with 388 runs at an average of 64.66 and a strike rate of 167.24.
Despite finishing fourth on the points table and scrapping through to the playoffs, MINY imitated their parent franchise, Mumbai Indians (MI), to steamroll in the knockout stage to emerge as MLC champions.