Nicholas Pooran named MI New York captain for MLC 2025 soon after retirement

Explosive wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran has been appointed captain of the MI New York team for the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 season, just hours after retiring from international cricket at the age of 29.

The upcoming third season of MLC commences this Wednesday.

The left-handed batter was the leading run-scorer in MLC’s inaugural 2023 season, amassing 388 runs and powering MI New York to the title with a blistering 137* in the final


"...there's a new commander in town - captain Nicholas Pooran," the inaugural MLC champions posted on X.


"This left-handed wicket-keeper batter is one of the world's most feared batters going around. At the peak of his powers currently, he's all set to take us to greater glories under his leadership," the franchise, stated in a media statement, which is owned by Reliance Industries.

The MI New York squad boasts several international cricket stars, including Quinton de Kock, Kieran Pollard and Rashid Khan, alongside other notable players.

"You really don't need to look beyond his 137 not out at the MLC Final to know that. Can't wait to relive the same in 2025, Nicky!" the team added.

Pooran, who represents Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and plays for various MI franchises worldwide, declared his retirement from international cricket shortly after withdrawing from the T20I series selection against England.

During his international career, he achieved significant milestones, becoming West Indies' most experienced T20I cricketer with 106 appearances. His batting record stands impressive as the nation's leading run-scorer, accumulating 2275 runs while maintaining an average of 26.14 and a strike rate of 136.39.

Pooran had an impressive IPL 2025 campaign, amassing 524 runs at a strike rate of 196.25, which included five half-century knocks.