Nicholas Pooran, the West Indian slugger tearing up the IPL for Lucknow Super Giants, doesn’t just share a dugout with his skipper Rishabh Pant. The two have a deeper connection, forged through the kind of trauma that leaves you counting your blessings. Both men, at different points in their lives, stared down death in horrific car accidents, only to claw their way back to the cricket pitch. On April 26, Pooran opened up about how those brushes with fate tied him to Pant in a way few could understand.
Pooran was just 19 in 2015, a kid with big dreams, when his car skidded off a Trinidad road. The crash left him with a fractured ankle, a busted knee, and enough cuts and bruises to make doctors wince. He was sidelined for months, his cricket career dangling by a thread. Fast forward to 2022, and Pant, India’s swashbuckling wicketkeeper, went through his own nightmare. His car flipped and caught fire on a Delhi highway. Broken bones, burns, and a long road to recovery followed. Yet, like Pooran, he defied the odds to return, bat in hand.
“We had a good vibe even before all that,” Pooran said in an interview, his voice carrying the weight of someone who’s been through hell. He recalled how he and Pant, both naturally outgoing, would hang out whenever their paths crossed—whether in the Caribbean or during IPL stints. But the accidents added a layer to their friendship. They didn’t just swap stories about sixes or stumpings; they talked about survival. “It’s tough, you know? Those moments change you. But the bright side? We’re here, playing cricket, living our dreams.”
Pooran’s been a standout in the 2025 IPL, hammering 377 runs in nine innings for Lucknow, with an average of 47 and a strike rate north of 200. Pant, captaining the side, has been no slouch either, steering the team with his trademark flair. Their on-field chemistry is obvious, but it’s the off-field bond that hits harder. They’ve both looked into the abyss and come out swinging.
The duo’s story isn’t just about cricket. It’s about grit, about two guys who refused to let twisted metal and hospital beds define them. Pooran, now 29, and Pant, 27, don’t dwell on the past, but they carry it with them. Every boundary they smash feels like a middle finger to fate. Their accidents, one in 2015 and the other in 2022, remain stark reminders of how fragile life can be.