TKR player profile: Pooran's punch packs big power in world cricket

NICHOLAS Pooran is the man. Pooran is one of the most devastating batters in world cricket nowadays. He is small in stature but punches a big blow, as most of his maximums clear the boundary ropes with relative ease and even sail into the top tier at the cricket grounds, much to the delight of the supporters.

The talented 27-year-old is a pocket rocket and is a game-changer whether he bats in the top order advantaging the powerplay or playing the “closer” role at the back end of the innings. He has quick hands and the rare ability to combine timing and finesse with power. He is brutal against spin and pace bowling, is exceptional on both off-side and leg side and is a nightmare to all bowlers.

Pooran resigned as captain of the West Indies white-ball teams after serving just six months as skipper from May-November 2022. He took the reins from fellow TT player, mentor and close friend Kieron Pollard. His surprising decision came after two-time T20 World Cup winners West Indies were eliminated in the early stages of the T20 World Cup tournament last year in Australia.

Since giving up the captaincy, the left-handed maestro has been in scintillating form for the majority of 2023. In the Indian Premier League, playing for Lucknow Super Giants, the wicket-keeper batter scored 358 runs in 15 innings, with an average of 29. 83 and two half centuries.

Then he helped his team Mumbai New York lift the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament in July. He scored 388 runs in the tournament, including one of the most brilliant knocks ever in a T20 final scoring 137 from 55 balls comprising ten boundaries and a record-breaking 13 maximums. In the very next tour, he was awarded the Player of the Series trophy in the West Indies' five-match T20I series win over India that was recently held in the West Indies. He belted 176 runs in five innings at a 35.20 average.

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) batter Pooran was adjudged player of the match for his blistering knock of 61 runs of 32 balls against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 12th game of the Caribbean Premier League last Sunday. In the post-game presentation, he confirmed that he is enjoying cricket and is reaping the rewards of the hard work over the years.
"I have been working hard for the last couple of years and I am in a good space at the moment. I'm playing with a smile on my face, and I just want to be as consistent as I can be."

TKR, a star-studded team, are favourites to win their fifth CPL trophy this season. Pooran is in the same team as some of the leading T20 players in the history of the game, including legends Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo and Adre Russell. Even though they are heavily padded with batsmen, his role batting at number three is crucial for the team.

Pooran is blessed to still be playing the sport he loves, because in January 2015, the wicketkeeper-batsman injured his left leg in a car accident in Trinidad when he was only 19. However, his comeback journey, which took 18 months, moulded him to be physically and mentally ready for all the ups and downs cricket has to offer.

The Trinidadian made his T20 debut for West Indies in 2016 and has since played 80 matches, amassing 1662 runs, including ten half-centuries and a top score of 74. In the ODIs, he has played 61 runs and totalled 1,983 runs at an average of 40 including three centuries and 11 fifties.

His name is amongst the marquee players in the majority of the T20 leagues throughout the world. He has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL over the years. In the CPL, he's represented Guyana Amazon Warriors, Barbados Royals formerly Tridents and now TKR.