‘A true teammate, friend and an absolute powerhouse’ – Rishabh Pant writes an heartfelt note for Nicholas Pooran after international retirement

Nicholas Pooran dropped a surprise in the early hours of Tuesday, June 10, when he announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29. After 61 One-Day Internationals and 106 Twenty20 Internationals, the former West Indies captain called it quits. He also captained the side in 17 ODIs and 23 T20Is. Pooran totalled 4258 runs throughout both white-ball versions.

Pooran developed a strong friendship with Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the just ended Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. While Pant joined LSG at the IPL 2025 mega auction and was later named captain, Pooran has been with the franchise since 2023. The two cricketers share significant similarities. Both are generally laid-back, enjoy attacking the bowlers, and knock massive sixes. They also bat left-handed and serve as wicketkeepers.

Following Pooran’s retirement announcement, Pant took to his official Instagram account to show his admiration for the Trinidad native and congratulate him on his services to West Indies cricket. Pant also wished Pooran good luck in his future undertakings.

“You’ve made your mark, bro—a great teammate, friend, and tremendous force. I am proud to have shared the pitch with you. Congratulations on all you’ve done for West Indies cricket.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. “Respect always,” Rishabh Pant wrote on Instagram.

Pooran had a spectacular season for LSG in IPL 2025. He was in the race for the Orange Cap for a considerable amount of time before Sai Sudharsan went into overdrive. Nonetheless, Pooran was one of the best batters of the tournament, finishing with 524 runs in 14 matches at an average of 43.67 and a strike rate of 196.25. This was the first time he scored more than 500 runs in an IPL season. He is set to return to action this week during the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, where he has been named as the captain of the MI New York franchise.