Nicholas Pooran boasts fourth-fastest ODI hundred for West Indies: Details
What's the story
Former West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran has announced his retirement from international cricket. The left-handed batsman made the announcement on social media, saying it was a "difficult" decision. Pooran's retirement comes as a major surprise as he is just 29 years old. Though the southpaw is mostly known for his T20 brilliance, he owns a prestigious ODI record as well. Here we decode the same.
Knock
Destructive innings vs Netherlands
Pooran smashed a blistering century in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers match against the Netherlands. The southpaw reached his ton off just 63 balls in that game, the fourth-fastest for a WI batter in ODIs. He scored an unbeaten 104 off just 65 balls, a knock laced with nine fours and six sixes. Notably, that tournament turned out to be Pooran's final ODI assignment.
Historical feat
Pooran only behind these names
Pooran's explosive batting style has been a highlight of his career. His century against Netherlands puts him behind only Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, and Evin Lewis in the list of fastest ODI tons for West Indies. Lara scored a 45-ball ton against Bangladesh in 1999, while Gayle achieved the feat in just 55 balls against England in 2019. Lewis clocked a 61-ball hundred against Sri Lanka last year.
Performances
Pooran's performance in World Cup Qualifiers
Pooran's destructive innings against the Netherlands helped the West Indies post a mammoth total of 374/6 in their allotted 50 overs. This was his second ton of the tournament, having scored an aggressive 115 off 94 balls against Nepal. Pooran finished the competition as WI's highest run-getter, having smashed 350 runs at 70 with his strike rate being 116.66. Meanwhile, the southpaw's only other ODI ton came in the 2019 World Cup match against Sri Lanka.
Career
Close to 2,000 runs in ODIs
Pooran finished his ODI career with 1,983 runs from 61 games at 39.66 (SR: 99.15). The tally includes 11 fifties besides three tons. He made his ODI debut in the format in 2019, three years after his T20I debut. He also led the team briefly though his tenure as captain was far from successful.