Nicholas Pooran explains why Lucknow Super Giants retained him for INR 21 crore [Exclusive]

Nicholas Pooran. (Photo source: IPL/BCCI)

 West Indies cricketer Nicholas Pooran shared his reaction after being retained by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 21 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. He expressed excitement about the opportunity and praised the franchise’s environment, mentioning that the management and leadership create a calm and supportive atmosphere for the players.

Pooran also reflected on his career in franchise cricket in an exclusive interaction with CricTracker, stating that his century in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 final remains his most memorable innings and one of the best performances of his franchise career.

Check out excerpts from the exclusive interview:

What was your initial reaction after being retained by LSG for INR 21 Crore ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction?

I feel like sometimes you get what you deserve as well. In all fairness, I did have two brilliant years for LSG. Batting at number 5, 4. They did put their feet in me as well. They trusted me. They believed in my skill set. They picked me. 

The initial year, they went all out to try to get me as well. I'm really grateful to them for that. I'm just happy that I could go there in the IPL and perform for them. Put some smiles on their faces. Prove to them that they made the right decision. I'm just happy that I could have done that as well. Even play with such a price tag as well. 

I felt like I was still in a safe space. At LSG, I feel like the environment is so controlled and so safe. Even Vinay, (Vinay Chopra, Director), he's so easy to deal with as well. He makes the environment safe. I felt everyone would have a different opinion. Even the boss as well. He makes the environment so calm for us. It's easy for me to go out and express myself and get the best out of myself.

What’s the most memorable innings you’ve played in franchise cricket, and why?

I think the one that is going to be the most special will be that century I scored in the MLC 2023 in the finals. Just the way I went about it. From a team perspective, we came fourth in the group. We had to go from the eliminator all the way to the finals coming from behind. And then chasing 184 in the finals. I think that's going to be the most special innings. I have to do really well to do that. I have some memorable innings as well in the IPL and also all over the world. But I think this one will be the best one.