Yeh khabar cricket fans ke liye ek jhatka hai, kyunki Pooran na sirf West Indies ke sabse zyada T20I matches khelne wale khiladi hain (106 matches), balki unke sabse zyada run banane wale batsman bhi hain, jinhone 2,275 runs banaye hain, aur woh bhi 136.39 ke strike rate ke saath. Unka yeh faisla West Indies cricket ke liye ek bada nuksan hai, kyunki team pehle hi 2022 T20 World Cup aur 2023 ODI World Cup jaise bade tournaments mein struggle kar chuki hai. Pooran ka yeh kadam, jab team 2026 T20 World Cup ki taiyaari kar rahi thi, ek aur dhakka hai.
Pooran ka career shandaar raha hai. Unhone 2016 mein Pakistan ke khilaaf T20I debut kiya aur 2019 mein England ke khilaaf ODI debut kiya. Unki sabse yaadgaar performance 2024 T20 World Cup mein Afghanistan ke khilaaf aayi, jab unhone 53 balls mein 98 runs banaye, jisme 6 fours aur 8 sixes shamil the. Yeh West Indies ke liye non-opener batsman ka T20 World Cup mein sabse bada score tha. Unke 149 sixes T20I cricket mein West Indies ke liye sabse zyada hain, aur woh duniya bhar ke full-member teams ke batsmen mein Rohit Sharma (205), Martin Guptill (173), aur Jos Buttler (165) ke peeche sirf chauthe sthan par hain. Unka yeh record Chris Gayle jaise legend ko bhi peeche chhodta hai, jinhone 2015 mein 135 sixes ka record banaya tha, jo Pooran ne 2024 mein 139 sixes ke saath tod diya.
Lekin Pooran ka safar sirf numbers tak nahi tha. Unki leadership bhi kabile-tareef rahi. 2021-22 mein unhone 17 ODIs aur 23 T20Is mein West Indies ki kaptaani ki, bhale hi unka record 40 matches mein sirf 12 jeet ke saath kamzor raha. Unhone apne social media post mein likha, “Maroon pehenna, national anthem ke liye khada hona, aur har baar maidan par apna sab kuch dena… iska matlab shabdon mein bayaan nahi kiya ja sakta.” Yeh bhaavna unke dil se nikli hai, jo West Indies cricket ke prati unka pyaar dikhati hai. Unki yeh bhaavuk baat dil chhoo jati hai, kyunki unhone na sirf apne performances se, balki apne passion se bhi fans ka dil jeeta.
Pooran ka franchise cricket mein contribution bhi kam nahi hai. IPL 2025 mein unhone Lucknow Super Giants ke liye 14 matches mein 524 runs banaye, jisme 5 half-centuries thi aur strike rate 196.25 ka tha. Unhone 2024 mein 170 sixes maar kar ek calendar year mein sabse zyada sixes ka record banaya. Yeh dekhkar lagta hai ki Pooran ka talent ab bhi chhota hai, aur woh Major League Cricket (MLC), The Hundred, aur ILT20 jaise leagues mein chamakte rahenge. Unka yeh faisla shayad franchise cricket ke bade mauka aur financial stability ki wajah se liya gaya hai, jo aaj kal kayi khiladiyon ke liye ek trend ban gaya hai. Jaise Glenn Maxwell aur Heinrich Klaasen ne bhi international cricket ke kuch formats chhod diye, Pooran ka yeh kadam bhi usi disha mein hai.
Lekin yeh baat West Indies cricket ke liye chinta ka vishay hai. Brian Lara ne 2024 mein kaha tha ki franchise cricket ke lucrative offers ke saamne West Indies Cricket Board ke liye apne khiladiyon ko hold karna mushkil hai. Pooran ka retirement ek aur nishan hai ki international cricket ka charm shayad kam ho raha hai. West Indies, jo kabhi Viv Richards aur Gary Sobers jaise legends ki team thi, ab ek aise daur mein hai jahan talent toh hai, lekin uska poora istemaal nahi ho pa raha. Pooran ke jaane se team ko ek naye middle-order batsman ki talash karni hogi, jo 2026 T20 World Cup mein unki kami poori kar sake. Yeh ek badi chunauti hai, aur shayad West Indies cricket ke liye ek aur kadam peeche ki taraf.
