PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- Trinidad and Tobago has drafted wicketkeeper batsman Nicholas Pooran into their Champions League T20 (CLT20) squad after his big hitting performance in the just concluded Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20.
The 17-year–old will travel to India this month for the September 17 to October 6 tournament, a CLT20 media release has stated.
Pooran became a popular talking point after he slammed 54 off 24 balls with six sixes and one four for his franchise Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel against the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
However the talented teenager was unable to repeat that type of hitting in the remainder of the tournament with his next best innings being an unbeaten 20 off 15 balls with two fours and a six against the Jamaica Tallawahs.
“Pooran has been on fire this year. He played for Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year in the Regional Super50 tournament and then he played for the CPL team scoring a brilliant 50 in his first game,” said chairman of the selectors Dudnath Ramkessoon
“He needs to be more consistent and produce good scores consistently but we recognised that he had tremendous talent and he is definitely a player for the future”.
The squad includes spinners Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree, fast-bowler Ravi Rampaul, opening batsmen Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath and stylish middle order batsman Darren Bravo with Denish Ramdin as captain and keeper.
Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Kevon Cooper are expected to represent their respective Indian Premier League franchises—Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals—in the Champions League tournament, which bowls off on September 17.
T&T Champions League Squad:Denesh Ramdin (Captain), Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Evin Lewis, Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart, Shannon Gabriel, Yannick Ottley, Adrian Barath, Sherwin Ganga, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Bravo; David Williams (coach), Omar Khan (manager).