SAN FRANCISCO, United States (CMC) — West Indies T20 big hitters Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell, along with former players Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine, have all been retained by their respective Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises.

However, Akeal Hosein, the number one-ranked T20 bowler in the world, has been released by defending champions Washington Freedom and will be available to any team in the upcoming draft on Wednesday.

After a strong 2024 when he scored the most runs in a calendar year in T20 cricket, Pooran was retained by MI New York, along with Pollard, while Narine and Russell were retained by LA Knight Riders.

Pooran helped lead MI New York to the title in the tournament’s inaugural year in 2023, but they were eliminated in the play-offs by Texas Super Kings in last year’s competition.

Pollard, Narine and Russell all endured a tough tournament in 2024.

Pollard scored just 63 runs in seven innings at an average of 12.60, Russell made just 129 runs and picked up two wickets in his six matches, while Narine scored 80 runs in 11 innings at an average of 4.50 and took five wickets at an economy rate of 6.20 in six innings.