Home / Players / Nicholas Pooran

Photograph credit: Official ILT20 website

MI EmiratesCaptain

Nicholas Pooran

Wicketkeeper · West Indies

Born

2 October 1995, Couva

Batting

Left-handed

Bowling

Right-arm off break

Shirt

29

118ODI top score, v Sri Lanka 2019

98T20I top score, v Afghanistan 2024

108*T20 top score

Nicholas Pooran is a West Indian wicketkeeper-batter and the captain of MI Emirates in ILT20 Season 5. Born in Couva, Trinidad, he is a former West Indies limited-overs captain and the side's leading run-scorer in T20 internationals. He retired from international cricket in June 2025, aged 29, and now plays franchise cricket around the world. He captained MI Emirates to the ILT20 title in 2024.

Nicholas Pooran Biography: Quick Facts

Early life

Nicholas Pooran was born on 2 October 1995 in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago. He attended Naparima College in San Fernando and represented Trinidad and Tobago at underage level, making his national under-19 debut in 2012 at 16. He was vice-captain and wicketkeeper at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, where he scored 303 runs in six matches, including 143 against Australia, the highest score of the tournament. Aged 17, he was the youngest player in the first Caribbean Premier League season in 2013, scoring 54 off 24 balls on debut for Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. He made his first-class debut for Trinidad and Tobago in November 2014. A serious car accident in early 2015 left him with casts on both legs, and it took him seven months to walk unassisted before he rebuilt his career.

Family and personal life

Nicholas Pooran married Alyssa Miguel in June 2021. The couple have a daughter, born in 2023. He keeps his family life largely private, and this page does not publish details beyond what has been shared publicly.

Domestic and franchise career

Pooran has played for Trinidad and Tobago since his teens and has been a Caribbean Premier League regular, first with Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel and later with Guyana Amazon Warriors. In the IPL he was signed by Mumbai Indians in 2017 without playing a match, then played for Punjab Kings from 2019 to 2021 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022. He joined Lucknow Super Giants in 2023 and was retained by them for ₹21 crore for both the 2025 and 2026 seasons. In 2025 he scored 524 runs for Lucknow at a strike rate of 196.25, with a tournament-leading 40 sixes. He has also captained MI New York to Major League Cricket titles in 2023 and 2025. In the ILT20 he captains MI Emirates, the side he led to the title in 2024 with an unbeaten 57 off 27 balls in the final against Dubai Capitals.

International career

Pooran made his T20I debut against Pakistan at Dubai on 23 September 2016. His ODI debut followed against England on 20 February 2019. At the 2019 ODI World Cup he finished as the West Indies' leading run-scorer, with 367 runs in nine matches, including his maiden ODI century, 118 against Sri Lanka on 1 July 2019. He was appointed West Indies limited-overs captain in May 2022 and stepped down in November 2022 after the T20 World Cup. In June 2024 he passed Chris Gayle as the West Indies' leading T20I run-scorer, scoring 98 against Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup. He retired from international cricket in June 2025, ending as the West Indies' most-capped T20I player.

Records and achievements

Pooran's record is built on power hitting and a long franchise career. His biggest verified marks are:

• West Indies' most-capped T20I player, with 106 matches, and their leading T20I run-scorer, with 2,275 runs.
• 143 against Australia at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, the highest score of the tournament.
• Leading run-scorer for the West Indies at the 2019 ODI World Cup, with 367 runs in nine matches.
• Captain of MI Emirates' ILT20 title-winning side in 2024, scoring an unbeaten 57 off 27 balls in the final and taking Player of the Match.
• 170 sixes in T20 cricket in the 2024 calendar year, the most in a calendar year.
• 524 runs at a strike rate of 196.25 in IPL 2025, with a tournament-leading 40 sixes for Lucknow Super Giants.

Nicholas Pooran's Net Worth and Salary

Nicholas Pooran's net worth is estimated at roughly USD 6–8 million in 2026. Media reports give that range, and this page uses it rather than a single figure. The figure is an estimate. His income comes from franchise deals around the world. Confirmed league fees include ₹21 crore a season with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, retained at that price for both 2025 and 2026.

Nicholas Pooran in ILT20 Season 5

MI Emirates retained Nicholas Pooran before the Season 5 auction, and he captains the side. He joins a 22-player squad, coached by Mark Boucher, for a season that runs from 21 November to 20 December 2026. All ten league fixtures for MI Emirates are below.

No Season 5 match has been played yet, so there are no Season 5 numbers for this player. This section will be updated as matches are played.

Career stats

Career totals: 167 international matches, 4,258 runs, 3 hundreds, 24 fifties. Statistics as of September 2026.

Conclusion

Nicholas Pooran's career is defined by a comeback and by power hitting: from a serious car accident in 2015 to the West Indies' T20I batting records, an ILT20 title as MI Emirates captain, and one of the IPL's biggest contracts. His move into ILT20 Season 5 as captain brings that record back to the league, and this page will be updated as the season is played.

More coverage: the MI Emirates squad, the Season 5 schedule and the full players index.