 "Want to do everything possible to win: Nicholas Pooran after LSG retention")
West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran has thanked Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for showing faith in him following his retention, and is eager to do everything possible to lift the Indian Premier League (IPL) title next season.
After the IPL retention deadline ended on Thursday, the Trinidadian was one of the five players to be retained by the franchise.
The 29-year-old was retained by LSG for Rs 21 crore, the joint second-highest retention price for the upcoming season, alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Virat Kohli.
The four other LSG retentions were Ravi Bishnoi (Rs 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (Rs 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (Rs 4 crore) and Ayush Badoni (Rs 4 crore).
"I'm just thankful and grateful for another year, another opportunity. I'm really thankful that LSG has given me requiredan opportunity to represent them again," Pooran said in a video released by the franchise on its social media handles.
"In 2023, they took a risk on me, and they took a chance, and I'm just really happy that I could contribute to the franchise becoming better. Obviously, we're still searching (for) that title.
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"Two years after, I'm really happy that they retained me, and they've shown so much trust in me. It really means a lot to me. I want to do everything possible to win. That's basically it." Pooran joined the side last season, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer for the team after KL Rahul (520), scoring 499 runs in 14 outings at a strike rate of 178.21, including three fifties.
Besides thanking the LSG fans for their support, he admitted that he also tries to help the team by imparting his knowledge of the sport as and when required.
"Our fans really came out and supported us last year, and that was really special. I'm looking forward to more support from our fans because they're the 12th man, and we just want to entertain them and make them happy.
"Whatever influence I do have, I try to impart my knowledge as well, especially when it comes to the game. The end result is all about winning, and it's all about coming up with the best decision for LSG and becoming successful in 2025 and just moving on from there," said Pooran.
With the five retentions, LSG possesses a purse of Rs 69 crore heading into the IPL Mega Auction, potentially happening this month.
The franchise also holds the option to retain another capped player via the Right To Match (RTM) card, with the likes of Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, and Krunal Pandya set to go under the hammer.