Over the past five weeks, the cricketing world has witnessed several big names announcing their international retirement. It began on May 7 when Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket before being joined by the talismanic Virat Kohli five days later, quitting the longest format.

These were followed by Glenn Maxwell bidding adieu to One-Day International cricket so that he could channel his energies towards the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka early next year, and South African stumper Heinrich Klaasen walking away from white-ball formats internationally – he had already retired from Tests – within a few hours of each other.

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Joining Klaasen now in the list of former internationals – Rohit and Kohli are still available for ODIs, Maxwell for T20Is, is West Indies’ highest-ranked T20I batter Nicholas Pooran. What caught everyone by surprise was Pooran, the gifted left-handed batter from Trinidad who set the first half of IPL 2025 alight with his sensational ball-striking for Lucknow Super Giants, is just 29.

He made his debut for the West Indies in September 2016, earned 61 ODI caps besides featuring in 106 T20Is. In ODIs, the Trinidadian scored 1983 runs at 39.66 at a strike rate of 99.15. Pooran, who has never played Test matches, leaves the game as the leading T20I run-scorer for the West Indies with 2,275 runs. He last played for the Caribbean outfit in December 2024.

“After much thought and reflection, I’ve decided to announce my retirement from international cricket. This game we love has given and will continue to give so much – joy, purpose, unforgettable memories, and a chance to represent the people of the West Indies. Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field… it’s hard to put into words what that truly means to me. To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart,” Pooran wrote in his statement on Instagram.

“Though this International chapter of my career closes, my love for West Indies Cricket will never fade. I wish the team and the region nothing but success and strength for the road ahead,” it read.

Pooran represented the West Indies at the 2014 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, before making his senior international debut two years later in a T20I against Pakistan. An ODI debut in 2018 followed, and the left-hander was named in the West Indies Cricket World Cup 2019 squad.

He was named vice-captain for the Caribbean side for the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, and took the captaincy reins in both white-ball formats across a six-month period in 2022, which included the team’s Men’s T20 World Cup campaign.

“Cricket West Indies extends sincere gratitude and appreciation to Nicholas Pooran for his outstanding contributions to West Indies cricket. Nicholas officially informed the leadership of his decision to retire from international cricket, bringing to a close a significant chapter in his career,” Cricket West Indies said in a statement.

“We salute his achievements and thank him for the moments he has given fans across the region and beyond. We wish him all the very best in the next phase of his journey,” it added.