NEWS
Follow UsIf an opportunity arises, Nicholas Pooran will be more than happy to lead Lucknow Super Giants in the next edition of the Indian Premier League. The explosive left-hander from West Indies was LSG’s top retention at INR 21 crore, while former skipper KL Rahul was released on October 31 (Thursday).
“I feel honoured. I came to LSG in 2023, with back against the wall. They took a chance with me. For some reason, I have fallen in love with this franchise and everything has clicked for me, especially as a batter. I just feel like LSG has helped me grow as a batter and achieve a lot of things over the past two years. Hopefully, I will be one of those fellows who can lead them to a title in the next few years,” Pooran, who has hit 857 runs in 29 games for LSG at an average of 42.85 and a strike rate of 176, told the Times of India.
“Yes, we will obviously be looking for a captain and whatever decision the management will take, we'll see...all hands on deck. If that question is put to me then I am available, but it all comes down to trust. If the management believes in me, having seen me for a couple of years...I am all hands on deck. But at the moment my focus is to score runs, win as many games as possible and try to create a winning atmosphere.”
Pooran has also led the West Indies in the past but struggled with his own form with the bat. That was one of the key reasons why he stepped down from the captaincy in 2022. “I was quite young and West Indies were in a transition period. I was trying to be the best version of myself, trying to be the best batter in the world, and I had a lot of young players around me who were also trying to figure out their game. We know how frustrating that can be.
“The search for perfection is really difficult and that's what I wanted when I was the captain, but it takes time. I relinquished captaincy for different reasons and I thought it was the best decision I made because I had started to struggle as a batter. As I see it 3-4 years down the line, captaincy has actually helped me grow as a human being and cricketer.”
We wanted players who put team before personal goals: LSG owner
Lucknow qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons but finished seventh on the points table in the last edition. Pooran said they will have to find a way to win more games at home and recruit players who want to win games for the franchise. In addition to Pooran, LSG have also retained Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni.
“I obviously want us to win games. But winning is difficult and we have to understand how to win, particularly in home conditions and it is all about building that team. It is all about getting players who actually want to play and win for this franchise.”
If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.
