Nicholas Pooran's top 5 T20I knocks vs India

Star West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, June 10. The announcement came as a shocker as the cricketer is just 29 years old.

Nicholas Pooran put up a long post on Instagram to announce his decision. The left-hander made his international debut in 2016 in a T20I against Pakistan. He played his first ODI in 2019 against England.

Pooran went on to play 106 T20Is and scored 2275 runs at an average of 26.14 and a strike-rate of 136.39 with 13 half-centuries. He played 61 ODIs and notched up 1983 runs at an average of 39.66 and a strike-rate of 99.15 with three centuries and 11 half-centuries to his name.

Against India, Nicholas Pooran played 20 T20Is and scored 592 runs at an average of 32.89 with a strike-rate of 135.16. That said, let us take a look at his top five T20I knocks against the Men in Blue post his international retirement.

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#5 62 off 41 balls

In the second T20I of the series against India in 2022 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Nicholas Pooran struck a gritty half-century. Batting first, India had posted a total of 186/5 from their 20 overs.

In the run-chase, West Indies got close and had almost won the game but fell marginally short in the end. They finished at 178/3 as India won the game by eight runs. However, Pooran played an impressive knock, scoring 62 runs off 41 balls, hitting five boundaries and three sixes at a strike-rate of 151.22, almost taking his side home.

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#4 61 off 47 balls

The third T20I of the same series in 2022 saw Nicholas Pooran score another half-century, also at the same venue, the Eden Gardens. Once again, India had batted first and posted a total of 184/5 on the board.

Pooran once again put a top effort with the bat. He was the highest-scorer in the chase for the West Indies, making 61 runs off 47 balls, including eight fours and a six at a strike-rate of 129.79. However, he did not find much support from the others as they ended with 167/9, losing the game by 17 runs.

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#3 61 off 43 balls

In the opening T20I of the 2022 series, which was also played at the Eden Gardens, Nicholas Pooran had scored a well-measured half-century. West Indies batted first and got to 157/7 from their 20 overs.

Pooran made 61 runs off 43 balls and hit four boundaries with five sixes in his knock at a strike-rate of 141.86. However, India chased the target down with six wickets remaining as his fifty eventually went in vain. He was the top-scorer for the visitors in this game.

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#2 67 off 40 balls

During the second T20I between West Indies and India at the Providence Stadium in Guyana in 2023, the visitors batted first and put up a fighting total of 152/7 on the board.

It turned out to be a close game as West Indies took 18.5 overs to get over the line and lost eight wickets in the process as well. However, their successful run-chase was led by a 40-ball 67 from Nicholas Pooran. He smashed six boundaries and four sixes at a strike-rate of 167.50 in a thrilling two-wicket win for his team.

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#1 53* off 25 balls

In the third match of the T20I series between India and West Indies in Chennai in 2018, Nicholas Pooran played an explosive knock with the bat. The visitors, batting first, were three down for 94 as Pooran walked in to bat at number five.

He struck a blazing unbeaten half-century, powering the team to a total of 181/3 from their 20 overs. Pooran smashed an unbeaten 53 off just 25 balls, hitting four boundaries and as many sixes at a strike-rate of 212. While India chased the total down with six wickets to spare, it remains one of his most memorable T20I innings.