Nicholas Pooran with MS Dhoni. Image Credits: X
Nicholas Pooran was recently asked to name his all-time T20 playing XI. The Trinidad cricketer evidently named as many as six West Indies cricketers, including himself, in his dream team as he laughingly leaned into his Caribbean bias while making the picks.
Among non-West Indies cricketers, Nicholas Pooran named legendary Indian players Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, as well as T20 World Cup winning skippers in the form of Jos Buttler and Lasith Malinga.
Nicholas Pooran forms mini-West Indies team in his all-time XI
During an appearance on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, former West Indies cricketer Pooran was asked to name his all-time T20 XI. While the 30-year-old constituted a formidable squad, his selections unmistakably reflected a strong West Indies flavour.
Pooran laughingly admitted his bias, and even named himself in the XI as one of the two wicketkeepers alongside Jos Buttler.
Pooran's all-time T20 XI
Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Jos Buttler, AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah
Pooran laughingly justifies West Indies bias
When the host jokingly said “so basically the whole West Indies team” in reference to Pooran’s T20 XI, the former international cricketer justified his decision behind naming a slew of Caribbean T20 legends.
Explaining his team’s composition, Pooran laughingly recalled West Indies’ track record in T20 World Cups, having won two titles back in 2012 and 2016 in Bangladesh and India respectively. He said, “We won a title. We have 2 World Cups by the way so yeah.”
Compatible to Nicholas Pooran’s claims, West Indies is one of the most successful teams in T20 World Cup history with two titles, sharing the two-time winning tag with England and defending champions India.
Players like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo among others played a huge role in each of the two West Indies T20 World Cup crusades. Meanwhile, players like Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Pooran himself continue to draw the big bucks around the world in various T20 leagues.
West Indies gear up for 2026 T20 World Cup
In search of another title, the West Indies cricket team is set to compete in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month. Under the leadership of blistering wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope, the West Indies team is placed in Group C of the tournament alongside the likes of Scotland, Italy, Nepal and fellow two-time winners England.
Their first match will be played against Scotland on February 7 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The West Indies team will subsequently face England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 11, and Nepal at the same venue on February 15.
Shai Hope and co. will conclude their Group Stage campaign of the tournament on February 19 by travelling back to the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to face Italy.
