“This is the best T20 innings I have ever played”: Nicholas Pooran
By MI New York Media
We aren’t done gushing over Nicholas Pooran’s Sunday night slam-bang yet. Here is he, attending the post-match press-conference and getting asked questions that ranged from his mastery, to his family, to his motivation, to USA cricket and the World Cup with the West Indies next year. Excerpts ..
On getting a lot of support for cricket in America
It’s wonderful. I believe I am an entertainer. Really happy to be here in America, performing like that. Really nice to hear that people have come to support not just me, but cricket in America. That’s the direction we want to head in. It’s a start, the Major League’s success is here.
On what was going through his head while batting
To be honest, I never really thought about it. I was sitting and I thought, ‘okay Nicky, you are no longer captain. You are going to bat as Nicky P’. I just went out there and I knew Imad was trying to get me out. I was also looking for something. It was a good batting wicket and I felt I could play through the line. And when I hit a couple, my body just took over and reacted. I was only looking to hold my shape. I just reacted and we had 75 in the powerplay. These are the innings I have worked hard for. I always want to be there at the end. I am still lost for words. This is probably my best T20 innings. Winning the game at the end, being there for my team is a special moment for me and my family. This is the first time my baby girl came to America. Happy that she could witness this moment and come back in 20 years and see that photo. Special feeling. We spoke about that first is always special, and to have MI New York here was wonderful. I know how badly Mumbai Indians wanted this. They are an amazing franchise, They love winning titles. Today is a moment for them in history.
On full houses for the games
At first I was surprised. But I knew that there were so many Indians in America. They love cricket more than anything. We knew they would come out and support. Really enjoyed this tournament. We didn’t come to relax. The guys played some really good cricket. Rsahid Khan bowled his four overs for nine runs. Klaasen smashing a hundred a couple of nights ago. Quinton tonight. Amazing to see guys putting their bodies on the line here.
What the MLC has done for USA cricket
There is a lot of talent. I believe this tournament will open the eyes for a lot of the players. Cricket is not just about batting and bowling, it is about the mind and mental toughness. Really nice to see these players rubbing shoulders with those who’ve played at the highest level. Nice for them to share their stories as well. They will continue to grow. Wonderful opportunity for the local players. In the coming years, USA cricket is going to be a force to reckon with.
On MI NY backing younger players
The MI franchise knows to deal with individuals. We knew we had to give opportunities to players, but we knew we were here to win. The players have to understand that. In life, sometimes all it takes is one opportunity. Robbie Peterson, Kieron, Malinga, Mahela, all these guys are really good people’s persons to have these conversations to tell people that we believe in them 100%. We have been really good in the last 4-5 games when our backs were against the wall. The younger guys, the local players have learnt a lot.
Lessons to take for the World Cup next year
A lesson is that it is really hot here (laughs). We know there is a World Cup coming up here next year. As cricketers, it is just about opportunities. We just need to be there and perform for the fans who come to see us. Really important to build ourselves and be ready. This tournament has shown that the level of professionalism cannot drop. Someone is always looking up to you. You need to be ready on and off the field.
On how he looks back at the 2015 period
In 2015 I got into an accident and almost lost my life. That changed everything for me. It is all about appreciating the moment. I knew when I got back and was fit again, I just wanted to be the best version of myself. My dream is to play national cricket. I need to put the hours in the nets, training, day in, day out. That is the hard work that people don’t see. I have struggled a lot on and off the field. A couple of years ago, I got four ducks in the IPL. But when you fail, you learn more. Everything has fallen in place nicely, I am just riding the wave, staying in the moment and not overthinking. As a youngster, you just want everything to get better for you. But I have learnt to enjoy the moment and relax and take it day by day, ball by ball.
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“It’s a tough pill to swallow”
It’s never easy knowing 266 wasn’t enough on the day. A record 29 sixes were hit by MI New York – the most ever in a T20 innings. On nights like these when lightning strikes twice, you don’t fight the powers. You just accept it wasn’t out night.“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Mark Boucher at the post-match press conference. “I think this ground is very small. In the beginning stages of the tournament, the wickets weren’t as good as they are now. It made bowling extremely tough. The dew factor at the backend of the game made bowling extremely tough for the bowlers and the fielders. But in saying that, we had our chances. If we had taken those chances, we could have built a bit of pressure. We knew when we scored our total, on a pitch that is good and small boundaries, if there was one team that could chase this down, it was these guys.”MI New York’s MLC 2026 campaign might have come to an end, but it was eventful and certainly memorable. We gained momentum and peaked at the right time, with all parts of the puzzle seemingly falling in place. “The one area where we’ve struggled throughout the tournament has been our batting. We haven’t got any flow in our batting in the tournament. Coming into the game today, even though we lost the last game, I thought there was something going there. Nicky’s (Pooran) knock was fantastic. Quinny (de Kock) got us off to a good start as well. Polly coming in. We put on a really good score and our batters did really well. In the middle stages of the tournament, our bowlers really kept us in the tournament,” he said. Whether it was Kieron Pollard pulling out matches from the dead, something he’s done for the Blue and Gold for over 17 years now, or whether it was Tajinder Dhillon’s cameos, or Rushil Ugarkar’s large-hearted bowling, Quinton de Kock’s typically Quinny-like starts, or a record-breaking final flourish, there certainly has been enough for us to celebrate. Let’s give it some time. When the disappointment withers, what will remain is pride, the pride we have in this side. This is MI city, this is MI team, we are MI New York. 17 Jul, 2026Celebrating a 106(33), that is enough on most days…
…Sadly, this wasn’t one of those. But when the dust settles and the disappointment of seeing a massive total being overhauled dies down, we’ll the pride in this MONSTER NICHOLAS POORAN knock. He loves these knockout games in the MLC, doesn’t he! Against the Washington Freedom in the Eliminator, he wasted no time settling in. The first ball was a single. Ball 2: SIXBall 3: SIXBall 4: SIXBall 5: FOURThis was followed by another 6, 4, 0, 6, 6, 6 to bring up his fifty off just 14 balls. None of them were mishits in any sense. Reading the bowling to perfection, he was happy to step out and go over long-off, pull away the short stuff, tonk them down the ground, cut them through point. Just peak, beast mode. He wasn’t backing down. Against Nikhil Chaudhary’s off-spin, he kept the fifth gear going. 6, 4, 1, 0, 4, 6, 4, 6 across two overs, and he had the fastest MLC century, off just 31 balls. He fell immediately after. All this inside the 12th over. Sheer madness was on display. Again, it might get forgotten given what happened in the second innings and how Washington chased down a mammoth total, but it was a knock for the ages nevertheless. Nicky P has added another feather that sits alongside his iconic 137* from 2023!16 Jul, 2026The Eliminator report: Crazy game, but ends in heartbreak :(
266 runs chased down. 51 sixes hit in the game. It’s probably a once in a lifetime moment, and the partnership of 241 runs in just 89 balls between Steven Smith and Andries Gous was again one of those, seen now, might never be seen again moments. Alas, it came against us in the Eliminator. A crazy game, but on the wrong side of the result.. Nicholas Pooran: 106 (33)“It wasn’t meant to be,” our skipper said at the post-match presentation. But his knock deserves all the appreciation. Five fours, 13 sixes, and a century off just 31 balls. It was peak Nicky P. Beast Nicky P. He was just unstoppable, smashing everything around for fun. Imagine a 24-ball 51 by Quinton de Kock felt like second fiddle! And then Polly goes wild!Pooran came, smashed, and was done by the 12th over. Kieron Pollard took it upon himself to carry the baton forward. With a 25-ball 64, he kept the shots coming, the sixes flowing, and ensured MINY finished strong. The final 266/9 came via Trent Boult and his 10-ball 22. That Smith-Gous stand On most days, a target of 267 is daunting enough. But lightning struck twice, first in the form of Pooran’s brilliant century, and then with Gous’ 51-ball 132 and Smith’s 48-ball 110. They rode their luck, but it just felt written in the stars. Ruing the missed chances 9.4: Smith gets a life 10.1: Smith gets put down again 10.6: Now Gous is dropped11.5: Both the bowler and the keeper miss a run-out chance In 13 balls, with four chances gone down, the signs were clear. It simply wasn’t our day. The batters then switched gears and went on a rampage, with 29 runs coming off the 13th over, 21 off the 14th and 31 off the 15th, virtually killing the game. This is where it ends. 2026 wasn’t to be. It’s a tough one to swallow. But once the dust settles, we’ll look back at how heartwarming this season has been with new heroes stepping up, older ones turning back the clock, and wins pulled off from nowhere. 15 Jul, 2026
