Nicholas Pooran was at his belligerent best as he demolished a vaunted Afghanistan bowling attack in their final group C game of the T20 World Cup at the Daren Sammy National Stadium in St Lucia on Tuesday. Walking in at number three after Afghanistan elected to field, Nicholas Pooran paced out a splendid innings before agonizingly missing out on his maiden T20I hundred, falling run-out on 98.
Nicholas Pooran carted six fours and eight maximums as West Indies recorded the tournament’s highest score in the final group-stage match. A resounding 104-run win also marked the second instance of a 100-plus run win for the West Indies this edition. Nicholas Pooran and West Indies recorded a slew of records before they head into the Super 8s.
Nicholas Pooran surpass Chris Gayle to enter into 500 sixes club.
Nicholas Pooran broke a significant record when he surpassed Chris Gayle as the highest six-hitter for the West Indies. While Gayle had amassed 124 sixes in 75 innings, Pooran matched the feat in his 84th innings before raising the tally to 128. Having debuted in 2016, Pooran is fifth on the all-time list, headed by India captain Rohit Sharma with 194 sixes.
Pooran (502*) also became the sixth batter in all men’s T20s to reach the landmark of 500 sixes. He joined Gayle (1056), Kieron Pollard (860), Andre Russell (686), Colin Munro (548) and Rohit (514) in the exclusive club. Interestingly, Pollard, Russell and Pooran have hit more sixes than fours in their respective T20 careers.
Pooran and West Indies totaled 36 runs in an over from Azmatullah Omarzai during the innings, the joint-most expensive over in T20 World Cup history – alongside the 36 conceded by Stuart Broad against Yuvraj Singh in 2007. It is also only the fifth-such instance in all men’s T20Is and the second involving West Indies.
Nicholas Pooran after his scintillating innings opened up on the influence Chris Gayle had on him while batting.
Nicholas Pooran opens up on Chris Gayle’s influence after surpassing him in T20I sixes
West Indian batter Nicholas Pooran hailed Chris Gayle as the one who defined T20 batting after surpassing his T20I sixes tally during his breathtaking knock in the 2024 T20 World Cup clash against Afghanistan in St. Lucia on June 17. Pooran scored 98 off 53 deliveries, including eight maximums to take his T20I sixes tally to 128, leapfrogging Gayle’s 124 to become the all-time leader for a West Indian batter.
The 28-year-old is also the leading run-scorer for the West Indies in T20Is and took his tally past 2,000 runs during the knock against Afghanistan. Pooran’s scintillating performance propelled West Indies to a massive 218/5 in 20 overs, their highest-ever score in T20 World Cups.
It led to a comfortable 104-run victory for the Caribbean side and Pooran credited Gayle for setting the benchmark for those to follow in the post-match press conference.
“I’m just really happy that I can continue what he left. He obviously set the platform for us. He’s the definition of batting in T20 cricket. And I’m just really happy that I can continue to entertain people and take over where he has left,” said Pooran.
Gayle scored 1,899 runs in his illustrious T20I career at an average of 27.92 and a strike rate of 137.50 with two centuries and 14 half-centuries. The now-retired batter remains the all-time leading run-scorer in overall T20s with an incredible 14,562 runs in 463 games.
“I’ve sacrificed a lot, so I want to be the best version of myself” – Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran credited his hard work and sacrifices as the primary reasons behind his success in the shortest format.
The southpaw has amassed 2,012 runs at an average of 26.47 and a strike rate of 135.85 in 92 T20I outings.
“It’s a proud feeling. I’ve worked hard throughout my career. I’ve sacrificed a lot, so I want to be the best version of myself. What has happened now is only because of my hard work and belief in myself. I’ve worked extremely hard on my craft, batting in different positions, and at the end of the day, I’m a complete team guy. Whatever they require from me, I want to do it,” said Pooran.
Pooran remains a key to West Indies’ chances of winning a third T20 World Cup title. The side won all four group stage games to finish atop Group C and qualify for the Super Eights. West Indies will take on defending champions England in the first of three Super Eight encounters in St. Lucia on June 19.