Nicholas Pooran

Chasing 129 to win in 10 overs against the Scarlet Ibis Scorchers, Pooran’s blast ensured that the Giants raced to a comfortable win with 9 balls to spare. Kamil Pooran remained unbeaten at the other end with Nicholas on 20 off 11 balls.

Pooran’s century was studded with 10 massive sixes and six fours and came with a strike rate of 272.97. Batting first, the Scorchers posted 128-3 in 10 overs.

Scorchers opener Tion Webster top-scored with 54 off 26 balls with five sixes and four fours. Ewart Nicholson remained unbeaten on 42 off 16 balls with four sixes and three fours to be the next highest scorer.

Pooran’s effort ensured that this was the Giants’ first win of the tournament after three matches. They are currently fourth on the points table with 2 points from 3 matches. While the Scorchers are yet to win a single match and are right at the bottom of the table after three matches.

After restricting India to 152-7 from their 20 overs, the West Indies scored 155-8 from 18.5 overs.

India won the toss and chose to take first strike but lost wickets early as Alzarri Joseph dismissed Shubman Gill for seven and Kyle Myers ran out Shuryakumar Yadav for one to have the tourists at 18-2 in the fourth over.

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma added 42 for the third wicket before Kishan was bowled by Romario Shepherd for 27. Sanju Samson was next to go, dismissed by Akeal Hosein for seven. India were then 76-4.

Varma and Karthik Pandya built a 42-run partnership that was broken at 42 when Hosein picked up his second wicket when he had Varma caught by Obed McCoy for 51. Pandya carried on before he was bowled by Joseph for 24.

Axar Patel made 14 that helped India approach 150. However, any chance of India making much more ended when he was bowled by Shepherd. Ravi Bishnoi raced to eight from four and Arshdeep Singh, six from three as India’s innings closed at 152-7.

Shepherd and Joseph had identical figures of 2-28 while Akeal Hosein took 2-29.

Needing to score at just over 7.5 runs an over, the West Indies were in dire straits losing two wickets in the opening over.

Brandon King was dismissed by Panda first ball. Three balls later, Pandya removed Johnson Charles for two to leave the West Indies 2-3. Kyle Mayers was trapped lbw by Singh for 15 and the West Indies were looking at a collapse at 32-3 in the fourth over.

Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell fought back against the Indian attack partnering for 57 from 37 balls when Powell was caught at deep third man for 21 to give Pandya his third wicket of the match. Pooran continued to plunder the bowling while Shimron Hetmyer, who has replaced Powell, got his eye in.

Together, they took the West Indies to within 27 runs of their target. However, as is often the case with the West Indies, the game was turned on its head when Pooran was dismissed by Mukesh Kumar, caught at cover-point for 67 that included six fours and four sixes.

His dismissal triggered a collapse in which the West Indies lost four wickets for three runs in 13 balls. It was Yuzvendra’s Chahal’s third over, the 16^th of the innings where things went pear-shaped for the West Indies.  Shepherd was run out for nought off the first ball, he then had Holder stumped off his fourth and Hetmyer trapped lbw for 22 on the final ball.

It was left to Akeal Hosein, who ended unbeaten on 16 and Alzarri Joseph at the other end on 10, to see the West Indies to a nail-biting victory.

Pandya took 3-37 and Chahal 2-19 were the main bowlers for India.

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell all made half-centuries at the Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium as Bangalore set Lucknow a seemingly daunting target of 213, but Pooran's incredible 62 off 19 deliveries led the Super Giants to an improbable win.

Lucknow won the toss and put RCB in to bat first, before openers Kohli (61 from 44) and Du Plessis put up 96 for no loss until the former was dismissed with the third ball of the 11th over.

Maxwell came in for Kohli, and he (59 off 29) and Du Plessis (79 not out) went on to plunder 115 from just 50 balls before Mark Wood (1-32) took the Australian batsman's leg stump out of the ground with the penultimate ball of the innings, as Royal Challengers finished with a formidable 212-2.

The Super Giants' chase took a huge blow within three balls as in-form danger man Kyle Mayers was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj without a run on the board, and Wayne Parnell (3-41) took the wickets of both Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya in the fourth over to leave Lucknow's hopes seemingly hanging by a thread.

However, Marcus Stoinis gave them a chance with his 65 off 30 and Pooran made the fastest half-century in this season's IPL before he was finally caught by Shahbaz Ahmed off Siraj's (3-22) bowling.

Lucknow would go on to win in remarkable fashion, needing one off the final delivery of the innings when Harshal Patel missed the stumps while trying to mankad the non-striker.

Harshal would eventually bowl the last ball, and though his delivery beat Avesh Khan, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik fumbled as the Super Giants batsmen completed the run to secure an extraordinary victory.

Bangalore's big three all fire in defeat

The Royal Challengers' top three batsmen all played excellent knocks with Kohli, Du Plessis and Maxwell accounting for all but one of their team's runs, excluding extras.

It was only the fifth time in IPL history that each of a team's top three all made half-centuries and the first time Bangalore had achieved that feat. However, their efforts were still not enough to get their team over the line.

Pooran innings changes the game

The Super Giants' hopes looked slim after Stoinis and KL Rahul fell within three balls of each other, but Pooran's introduction swung the match back in their favour.

He went at a strike rate of 326.31, smashing four fours and seven maximums to set up his team-mates to go on and win the game.

LSG piled up an imposing 214-6 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by Mumbai.

Captain KL Rahul scored a 41-ball 55 to cap off an indifferent season with the bat by his standards before Pooran, who has been one of LSG’s standout players this season, scored a brilliant 75 off just 29 balls including five fours and eight sixes.

Marcus Stoinis and Ayush Badoni also had solid contributions of 28 and 22*, respectively.

Nuwan Thushara was the pick of the Mumbai bowlers with 3-28 from his four overs while Piyush Chawla ended with 3-29 from his full quota.

Despite 68 from skipper Rohit Sharma and 62* off just 28 balls from Naman Dhir, Mumbai fell short of their target reaching 196-6 at the end of their 20 overs.

Sharma’s knock at the top of the order lasted 38 balls and included 10 fours and three sixes while Dhir hit four fours and five sixes in his innings.

Ravi Bishnoi and Naveen-ul-Haq took 2-37 and 2-50 in their four over spells.

This win means LSG will end the season sixth with 14 points from as many games while Mumbai, five-time champions, will finish last having recorded only four wins in their 14 games for eight points.

Full scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 214-6 off 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 75, KL Rahul 55, Nuwan Thushara 3-28, Piyush Chawla 3-29)

Mumbai Indians 196-6 off 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 68, Naman Dhir 62*, Ravi Bishnoi 2-37, Naveen-ul-Haq 2-50)

After KKR won the toss and elected to field first, LSG, propelled by an aggressive 58 from Pooran, posted 176-8 off their 20 overs.

Pooran’s knock came off just 30 balls and included four fours and five sixes. He was well supported by Quinton De Kock (28) and Prerak Mankad (27).

Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur and Vaibhav Arora all took two wickets, each, for the Knight Riders.

Then, despite a fighting 67* from Rinku Singh and 45 from Jason Roy, KKR finished their reply 175-7 off 20 overs, falling agonizingly short of the win.

Ravi Bishnoi led the way with the ball for Lucknow with 2-13 from his four overs while Yash Thakur also took a pair of wickets.

Pooran hit a 41-ball 65* including four fours and as many sixes, following up his 62 in their previous game against the Southern Brave, to help the Superchargers post 145-5 from their hundred balls after being put in to bat by the Invincibles.

Sam Curran was the best bowler on the day for the Invincibles with 2-20 from 15 balls.

The Invincibles were then restricted to 126-9 from their 100 balls in reply.

Donovan Ferreira tried his best with a fighting 24-ball 49 including two fours and five sixes but excellent spells of 2-18 off 10 balls from Matthew Potts and 2-26 from 20 balls from Jordan Clark proved too hard to overcome.

The Captains’ Day marks the start of the eighth edition of the event that promises to keep more than a billion cricket fans across the globe on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Pooran is charged with leading the West Indies as they go in search of an unprecedented third title. Daren Sammy was at the helm in 2012 and 2016 when the West Indies lifted the trophy – making them the only team to win the coveted title twice – a rich legacy.

Pooran told the audience: “To be honest, I don’t feel like there’s a lot of pressure … we believe that we are a new group of guys, yes, we are new when it comes to T20 cricket. We start at the bottom … think we have the toughest way to the World Cup, and the guys understand that. I keep telling them it may be a blessing in disguise for us to start in the qualifiers first. Obviously everyone knows when you want something you have to work really hard for it.” He added: “But yes, we want to qualify, and obviously there's some pressure, as well, but the guys are not thinking about that. We just want to focus on ourselves and try to play the best cricket we can.”

The big event gets underway on Sunday at 3pm local time when Sri Lanka face Namibia at Kardinia Park Stadium in Geelong in Group A. It will be followed by the United Arab Emirates against the Netherlands at 7pm local time. This marks the first of 45 matches over 28 days with the champions to be crowned at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 13 November.

West Indies will bowl off their campaign on Monday against Ireland at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. First ball is 3pm local time (12 midnight Eastern Caribbean/11pm Jamaica). The two teams are in Group B alongside Zimbabwe and Scotland. The two top teams in the preliminary round will advance to the Super12s stage of the event.

The West Indies cricketer's withdrawal, alongside Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, has left BBL fans and team owners puzzled. Both Pooran and Rizwan were expected to be highly sought after in the draft, but their sudden decisions to opt out have raised questions about their availability for the entire season.

While the reasons for their withdrawals remain unclear, it's been revealed that Pooran is already contracted to a franchise in the UAE's ILT20 competition. This competition is scheduled to kick off on January 19, coinciding with the BBL finals, making it impossible for Pooran to participate in the Australian league.

As for Rizwan, who is set to play a crucial role for Pakistan in this summer's Test series against Australia, his availability for the BBL would have been delayed until after the conclusion of that series. Pakistan was scheduled to face New Zealand in T20 matches starting from January 12, further complicating Rizwan's participation in the BBL.

The withdrawal of these two explosive wicketkeeper-batters has left a void in the BBL draft. This year's draft has already seen other notable withdrawals, including South Africa star Dane van Niekerk, who is still recovering from an injury sustained while playing in the Hundred tournament in the UK.

The BBL draft is set to feature 495 players from both the BBL and WBBL, and it will be televised for fans around the world to witness. Among the 23 remaining BBL players elevated to Platinum status, only England quick Tymal Mills has confirmed his full availability for the regular season and finals.

The availability of several players has been affected by international commitments. England's T20 team is scheduled to tour the Caribbean, with the final match taking place on December 22. Meanwhile, the South African T20 competition is set to commence on January 10, and the UAE league further complicates the schedules of many players, resulting in most of them committing to "6-9 games."

With the draft just around the corner, fans and team owners will be keeping a close eye on the remaining West Indies players listed in the BBL draft. These players will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the upcoming season and fill the void left by the withdrawals of Pooran and Rizwan.

 West Indies players remaining in the BBL draft:

Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Ronsford Beaton, Joshua Bishop, Nkrumah Bonner, Carlos Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Andre Fletcher, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Kofi James, Amir Jangoo, Evin Lewis, Kennar Lewis, Jair McAllister, Gudakesh Motie, Ashmead Nedd, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Roshon Primus, Ray Reiror, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Ramon Simmonds, Kevin Sinclair, Shamar Spinror, Oshane Thomas, Chadwick Walton, Hayden Walsh Jr., Kevin Wickham and Nyeem Young.

Such marks will, however, not be easy to eclipse.  India batsman K.L. Rahul currently holds the record for the fastest 50, achieved in a meagre 14 balls, in 2018.  The fastest century was smacked by no other than legendary West Indian batsman Chris Gayle who reached the mark, in 2013, in just 30 deliveries.

Pooran has, however, looked in good form recently.  Just last month, he cracked 10 sixes in a 45-ball epic worth 100 runs for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

"Any. Fastest fifty or the fastest hundred,” Pooran replied when asked which record, he would like to break in a recent Espn Cricinfo interview.

The player, however, also reflected on his performance in the IPL, which he believes could have been better.

 "I don't think that I've too many great IPL performances. I had a couple of scores last year and the one against the KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) was good."

The batsman represented Kings XI Punjab in the IPL last season.

Recently, calls have grown louder for the 25-year-old batsman to be included in the team for the game’s longest format.  Pooran has put together a string of impressive performances in both the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) convincing some, including legendary West Indian batsman Viv Richards, that some of that success can be translated to the four-day format.

The batsman was not picked on the Test squad for next month’s tour but was named as part of the team’s T20 squad.  Despite that, Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief of selectors Roger Harper recently revealed that the matter was being given some serious thought.

“There was a lot of consideration given to Nicholas Pooran; we are still looking at it and I am sure as we move forward, Pooran will have an opportunity as well,” Harper said.

The pair of First-Class matches are expected to take place at the same time as the Test match.  The first Test is scheduled for Hamilton, between December 3-7, with the second booked for Wellington from December 11-15.  Harper indicated that the team will consist of some of the T20 players and Test reserves.

"He is in the T20 squad and he has expressed willingness to play in four-day games that will be available during the tour," Harper said.

So far, Pooran has only played three First-Class matches and he has a top score of 55.  In One Day Internationals (ODIs) he is considered as one of the most talented young batsmen. In 25 matches Pooran has scored 932 runs at an average of 49 with one century and seven fifties. In T20 cricket, he has 14 fifties and one hundred in 146 global matches.

Nicholas Pooran is setting the IPL alight with sheer power—and he’s doing it without even trying to hit sixes.

The Lucknow Super Giants star smashed a jaw-dropping 70 off just 26 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, sending six deliveries soaring over the boundary rope. That brought his tally to a remarkable 13 sixes in just two innings in IPL 2025. But for Pooran, it’s not about brute strength or planning the big shots—just clean timing.

In the first game of Friday's triple-header, Nicholas Pooran carried on from his unbeaten 77 on the opening night and hit 80 off 32 deliveries to catapult Deccan Gladiators to 138 for 3 against the Northern Warriors- the highest score of the tournament so far. Pooran’s knock included 10 fours and three sixes.

Despite a half-century from Adam Lyth, the Warriors struggled to get close and finished 24 runs short. Rovman Powell's side remains without a win after two games.

The day’s second game between Brandon King’s Team Abu Dhabi and Dwayne Bravo’s Delhi Bulls ended in a tie.

After winning the toss, an unbeaten third-wicket 101-run stand between James Vince (26* off 20) and King (64* off 27) had earlier helped Abu Dhabi post 120 for 2.

The Bulls then reached 120-5 from their 10 overs in reply. Imad Wasim (21 not out) and Tim David (20) were the chief scorers while Keemo Paul also contributed a rapid 16 from seven balls.

The day’s third game saw Carlos Brathwaite help the Chennai Braves get on the board with a win over Bangla Tigers. 

His 44 not out off 19 balls saw them post 126 for 6 and with the ball, the West Indian picked up two wickets in two deliveries in his first over before returning in the last over to pick up two more and finish with figures of 4 for 3 as the Tigers stuttered to 93 and their second defeat in as many nights.

Moving at a run-a-ball for his first 17 deliveries, Nicholas Pooran smashed three fours and four sixes to score 51 runs in 18 deliveries while Tim David hammered 41 runs in the death overs to set the Gulf Giants a formidable target of 180 runs to win.

In response, the Gulf Giants’ run chase began with a promising start anchored by James Vince’s half century.

Jamie Overton’s 41 off 18 balls studded with five sixes gave his team a much-needed injection, however a clinical performance by the MI Emirates’ bowling unit led by Fazalhaq Farooqi, restricted the Giants to 161 for 9. Farooqi was the pick of the bowling with figures of 4 for 25.

Elated by his team's victory the winning captain, Nicholas Pooran said, “We were ready with the result, and happy that the guys responded to the challenge. With wickets in hand, you can always go big in the last 5-6 overs.”

Meanwhile Player of the Match, Tim David expressed his delight in contributing to the team’s victory, he said, “It is nice to make any contribution for the side. The boys laid the platform, and I just took it on. It's about finding a method that is going to work for you in that game, take that risk and see what happens.”

Skipper of the Gulf Giants, James Vince, conceded that his side could have come up with a better effort but highlighted his enthusiasm for the upcoming games.

“We never quite got ahead in the game, their finish with the bat was superb. I think we got bogged down before I got out and that was a key moment in the game. We will have a quick debrief ahead of the next game and see where we can improve” he lamented.

Pooran's explosive fifty and Tim David's power-hitting propel MI Emirates

Electing to bowl first, the Gulf Giants enjoyed an early breakthrough when Dominic Drakes dismissed Will Smeed for just one run in the second over. Despite a challenging start against the swing and bounce, Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher managed to push the MI Emirates to 41 for 1 by the end of the powerplay, with Waseem hitting two consecutive sixes. However, Waseem fell to Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the following over for only 19 runs.

Nicholas Pooran joined Andre Fletcher in a labored partnership, adding 22 runs in the middle overs. Fletcher departed for 28 runs, and then Ambati Rayudu and Pooran launched a fierce assault on the Giants' bowling, forging a 69-run partnership in just 32 deliveries. Pooran reached his half-century in 27 balls, while Rayudu contributed a quick 25 runs. However, Chris Jordan's pivotal 18th over saw the dismissal of both Pooran and Rayudu, halting the attack.

In the death overs, Tim David played a blitzkrieg of two fours and fives sixes to score 41 runs in 15 balls and catapult the MI Emirates to a formidable total of 179 for five in 20 overs.

James Vince and James Overton exploits diminished by Fazalhaq Farooqi

Tasked with chasing at nine runs per over, the Gulf Giants had an explosive start spearheaded by captain James Vince, who struck boundaries at will. At the end of five overs, the Giants were powering through with 48 runs for no loss. In the final over of the powerplay, Fazalhaq Farooqi’s potent bowling earned him the wickets of Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox in consecutive deliveries. UAE’s Usman Khan joined James Vince with the score reading 48 for two.

At the halfway mark of the innings, Usman Khan and James Vince had put on 33 runs and the Giants were falling behind the required run rate, needing 99 runs in ten overs. In a bid to accelerate, Usman Khan was dismissed by Waqar Salamkheil for 22 runs. Meanwhile, James Vince brought up his half century in only 38 balls, comprising seven fours and a six. Soon after, the Gulf Giant’s captain was sent back to the dressing room by Dwayne Bravo in the 14th over to bring Shimron Hetmyer to the crease.

Between the 12th and 15th over, the Gulf Giants only managed to gather 12 runs, leaving them with a steep equation of 71 runs needed in the final five overs. In the 17th over, James Overton reinvigorated the run chase with three consecutive sixes in Waqar Salamkheil ‘s over, followed by two sixes off Trent Boult in the next over. Once Overton was dismissed by Farooqi, the defending champs lacked the firepower to push their total beyond 161. 

Brief Scores

MI Emirates 179 for 5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 51, Tim David 41, Andre Fletcher 28; Chris Jordan 2 for 48, Mujeeb ur Rehman 1 for 23) Gulf Giants 161 for 9 in 20 overs (James Vince 52, James Overton 41, Usman Khan 22; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 25, Trent Boult 2 for 39)

Player of the Match: Tim David of MI Emirates       

After being put in to bat by the Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, MI piled up an intimidating 208-3 from their 20 overs.

Pooran, batting at number four, led the way with a 27-ball 57* including two fours and six sixes while Fletcher, who batted at three, provided excellent support with 53 off 37 balls including three fours and four sixes.

Openers Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera each had good contributions as well making 43 and 38, respectively.

Left-arm wrist spinner Zahir Khan was the Capitals best bowler on the day with 1-21 from his four overs.

The Capitals were then never able to recover from losing in form opener Leus du Plooy off just the second ball of the chase when he was trapped in front by Akeal Hosein.

Captain Sam Billings and Tom Banton tried their best with 40 and 35, respectively, but it proved to not be enough as Dubai were eventually restricted to 163-7 from their 20 overs.

Jason Holder made 24 while Rovman Powell made just eight.

Trent boult was excellent with the ball taking 2-20 from four overs while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took 2-24 from his four overs.

Pooran was adjudged player of the match while Capitals all-rounder Sikandar Raza was named player of the tournament.

Full Scores: MI Emirates 208-3 off 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 57*, Andre Fletcher 53, Muhammad Waseem 43, Kusal Perera 38)

Dubai Capitals 163-7 off 20 overs (Sam Billings 40, Tom Banton 35, Trent Boult 2-20, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-24)

Pooran and Matthews were named in the ICC Men’s and Women’s T20I Teams of the Year.

The announcement of the five teams - the ICC Men’s and Women’s T20I Teams of the Year, the ICC Men’s and Women’s ODI Teams of the Year and the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year – were made in a staggered manner over Monday and Tuesday and feature players from 11 teams selected on the basis of international performances through the calendar year.

Teams were identified from selections submitted by the specialist panel of media representatives that make up the ICC Voting Academy. The esteemed panel made their selections based on player performances during the calendar year, nominating their playing eleven to include a captain and a wicketkeeper.

The ICC Awards 2023 announcements will continue Wednesday and Thursday, when 13 individual award winners will be declared.

ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year:

1. Usman Khawaja (Aus)
2. Dimuth Karunaratne (SL)
3. Kane Williamson (NZ)
4. Joe Root (Eng)
5. Travis Head (Aus)
6. Ravindra Jadeja (Ind)
7. Alex Carey (WK, Aus)
8. Pat Cummins (Capt, Aus)
9. R Ashwin (Ind)
10. Mitchell Starc (Aus)
11. Stuart Broad (Eng)

Pat Cummins has been named as the captain of the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year after leading his side to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title and finishing the year with 42 wickets at an average of 27.50 with three five-wicket hauls.

His fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc has also been picked, as have been three other Australians, making them the most represented nation in the Test team. Opener Usman Khawaja, the only player to pass 1,000 Test runs in 2023 walks into the Test side for a second successive year with 1,210 runs at an average of 52.60 and three centuries. Travis Head, Player of the Match in the WTC Final, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey are the other Australia players named in the team.

India spinner R Ashwin, the No. 1 bowler in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, and former England captain Joe Root, who are in the running for the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year award along with Khawaja and Head, are also in the team. England and India have two players each with the selection of Ravindra Jadeja and Stuart Broad.

Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne partners Khawaja atop the order, with New Zealand star Kane Williamson claiming the number three batting spot, as five international teams have representation in the Test team.

ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year:

1. Phoebe Litchfield (Aus)
2. Chamari Athapaththu (Capt, SL)
3. Ellyse Perry (Aus)
4. Amelia Kerr (NZ)
5. Beth Mooney (WK, Aus)
6. Nat Sciver-Brunt (Eng)
7. Ash Gardner (Aus)
8. Annabel Sutherland (Aus)
9. Nadine de Klerk (SA)
10. Lea Tahuhu (NZ)
11. Nahida Akter (Ban)

The Australian dominance in Women’s ODI cricket is reflected in the team with five players featuring in it including rookie Phoebe Litchfield. Not having played an ODI before 2023, the 20-year-old opener made a huge impact in her first 13 matches, scoring 485 runs at an average of 53.88 and a strike rate of 81.92. She is a strong contender for the ICC Emerging Women’s Player of the Year award.

Ellyse Perry and wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney make the team after scoring over 400 runs each during the calendar year while Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland make it on the strength of performances with both bat and ball.

Left-handed opener Chamari Athapaththu, for long the batting mainstay for Sri Lanka, has been named captain of the side after scoring 415 runs in just eight matches at an average of 69.16 and a strike-rate of 125.37. Nat Sciver Brunt’s batting average of 131 in six matches earns her the number six slot.

New Zealand are the only other side apart from Australia to have more than one player in the Women’s ODI team as all-rounder Amelia Kerr and fast bowler Lea Tahuhu have both made it. All-rounder Nadine de Klerk of South Africa and Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Nahida Akter complete the team.

Men’s ODI Team of the Year: 

1. Rohit Sharma (Capt, Ind)
2. Shubman Gill (Ind)
3. Travis Head (Aus)
4. Virat Kohli (Ind)
5. Daryl Mitchell (NZ)
6. Heinrich Klaasen (WK, SA)
7. Marco Jansen (SA)
8. Adam Zampa (Aus)
9. Mohammed Siraj (Ind)
10. Kuldeep Yadav (Ind)
11. Mohammed Shami (Ind)

Top-ranked ODI side India had a superb run last year and won all their matches in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup before losing to Australia in the final. Their consistency is reflected in the selection of six players in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year including both openers and a pair of fast bowlers.

The top three ODI run accumulators in 2023 – Shubman Gill (1,584 runs), Virat Kohli (1,377) and Rohit Sharma (1,255), who are currently ranked from second to fourth in the batting rankings - have been picked for three of the top four batting positions.

Head, who was named Player of the Match for a 120-ball 137 in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad, gets the number three position while New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell is the number five batter. South Africa wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen is selected after notching 927 runs and accounting for 20 dismissals.

Wrist spinners Adam Zampa of Australia and Kuldeep Yadav of India have been named along with a seam attack that consists of Mohammad Shami (43 wickets in 2023) and Mohammad Siraj (44 wickets) of India and all-rounder Marco Jansen of South Africa.

Women’s T20I Team of the Year: 

1. Chamari Athapaththu (Capt, SL)
2. Beth Mooney (WK, Aus)
3. Laura Wolvaardt (SA)
4. Hayley Matthews (WI)
5. Nat Sciver-Brunt (Eng)
6. Amelia Kerr (NZ)
7. Ellyse Perry (Aus)
8. Ash Gardner (Aus)
9. Deepti Sharma (Ind)
10. Sophie Ecclestone (Eng)
11. Megan Schutt (Aus)

Athapaththu has the distinction of being named captain of both the ODI and T20I squads while Mooney, Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner are other players to make both women’s squads for the year.

Fourth in the list of batting aggregate with 470 runs at a strike rate of over 130, the Sri Lankan captain also grabbed eight wickets with her off-spin to take the first spot in the team with Mooney named to partner her at the top of the order.

Two more international captains – Hayley Matthews of the West Indies and Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa – also make it after remarkable years. Matthews was the most prolific with 700 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 132.32 while also grabbing 19 wickets. Wolvaardt scored 586 runs in 19 matches at a strike rate of 108.51.

Top-ranked Sophie Ecclestone’s 23 wickets in the year and third-ranked Deepti Sharma’s 21 wickets see them clinch the two spinners’ slots while Australia fast bowler Megan Schutt, ranked second, is the fourth Australian in the team, also having 21 scalps to show from last year.

Men’s T20I Team of the Year:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Ind)
2. Phil Salt (Eng)
3. Nicholas Pooran (WK, WI)
4. Suryakumar Yadav (Capt, Ind)
5. Mark Chapman (NZ)
6. Sikandar Raza (Zim)
7. Alpesh Ramjani (Uga)
8. Mark Adair (Ire)
9. Ravi Bishnoi (Ind)
10. Richard Ngarava (Zim)
11. Arshdeep Singh (Ind)

Top-ranked India have four players in the Men’s T20I squad with flamboyant batter Suryakumar Yadav named captain. Yadav topped the runs chart with 733 runs in 18 matches at a strike rate of 155.95 to consolidate his position at the top of the rankings.

The next three in the list of run scorers the past year – Mark Chapman of New Zealand (576 runs), Zimbabwe star Sikandar Raza (515) and upcoming India batter Yashasvi Jaisal (430) – were automatic choices while Phil Salt of England and Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies too had enough to stake claims.

Uganda’s Alpesh Ramjani became the first from his country to be named in an ICC Team of the Year when the left-handed all-rounder made it this year after scoring 449 runs and grabbing 55 wickets with his slow bowling. Ramjani is in contention for the Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award as well as being eligible for the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year.

Ireland have a representative in Mark Adair as do Zimbabwe in Richard Ngarava. India’s leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seam bowler Arshdeep Singh also make the team on the back of some fine international performances during 2023.

West Indies superstars Nicholas Pooran and Hayley Matthews have been included in the respective ICC Men’s and Women’s T20I Teams of the Year for 2024.

The sport’s governing body released both the Men’s and Women’s T20I Players and Teams of the Year on Saturday.

West Indies stalwarts Sunil Narine and Nicholas Pooran are brimming with confidence as they are determined to guide their respective franchises to success in the highly anticipated third edition of the DP World ILT20 Tournament in the UAE.

West Indian T20 superstars Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have all been retained by their respective Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises ahead of the draft for the 2025 season. Pooran and Pollard have both been retained by MI New York while Russell and Narine will once again suit up for the LA Knight Riders.

In recent months, there have been calls to consider the in-form Pooran, in particular, for the Test cricket format, with his advocates insisting the shot maker has the ability to adapt. 

Chief of selectors Roger Harper, as a result, extended the invitation to players on the current tour interested in playing a set of three-day games that will take place at roughly the same time as the team’s Test matches.

In addition to the interested white-ball specialists, the team will consist of six reserve Test players.

 “This series will give our players an opportunity to play first-class cricket against foreign opposition as well as experience different conditions here in New Zealand,” Harper was quoted as saying.

“It will also help to keep them in the frame should the need for replacements for the Test team arise, as we will have players who have been playing red-ball cricket and in-form to consider.”

FULL SQUAD

Fabian Allen

Nkrumah Bonner

Joshua DaSilva

Brandon King

Kyle Mayers

Preston McSween

Shayne Moseley

Nicholas Pooran

Rovman Powell

Raymon Reifer

Jayden Seales

Romario Shepherd

Oshane Thomas

Hayden Walsh

West Indies “A” Team Tour Schedule

December 3-6: West Indies “A” vs New Zealand "A" at Bay Oval

December 11-14: West Indies “A” vs New Zealand “A” at Saxton Oval, Nelson

Batsman Nicholas Pooran and all-rounder Andre Russell were both included in the ESPNCricinfo T20 team of the year, the website announced on Monday.