Catches win matches. Rovman Powell has proved that this adage holds true
even in this age of slambang cricket.
Yes, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ turnaround following an inauspicious start this season has not solely been because of Powell’s super catches, the others have also done their bit.
However, if not for the splendid, acrobatic catches of Powell to effect the dismissals of danger men Mitchell Marsh and Heinrich Klaasen in the clashes against Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively, the Knights’ effort to climb back up the table would have felt steeper.
For Powell, though, he would have been happier with a bit more than what he has contributed for KKR till date.
“It’s always good to be a contributor. I’ve gotten the opportunity where I’ve wanted to do a little bit more. But it’s good to contribute in the few games that I did. The team needs its players to stand up, and I’m trying to do that,” Powell, in his second season for KKR, told The Telegraph.
In his five innings so far, an unbeaten 39 has been the highest score for Powell. He averages 40.33 and his strike rate reads 134.44. Hopeful of more opportunities coming his way, Powell said: “A lot of times why a lot of guys are not playing is not because of their skills, but because of the combination the teams are looking for. Fortunately for me, I’ve gotten the opportunity in the last few games.”
The more the merrier
The 32-year-old Jamaican proudly dons the West Indies cap on the international stage. But in the IPL, especially at KKR, whose coaching staff comprises Abhishek Nayar (head coach), Shane Watson (assistant coach), Tim Southee (bowling coach) and Dwayne Bravo (mentor), Powell believes he has access to “a lot more resources.”
“IPL cricket is about a lot more resources than what we have as an international West Indies team. It’s very different. When you’re in the IPL, you have access to more stuff and the best of the best.
“…Not saying that when you play for the Windies, you don’t have access to the best. But it’s lesser resources. And that in itself is a big factor,” Powell, who has also represented Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals across five seasons, explained.
No.5 ideal slot
Essentially a finisher, the earliest Powell goes out to bat is usually at No. 6. But batting at No. 5 will be ideal for him, Powell feels. “If it was left to me, I would bat No. 5, regardless of the situation. But, because a player like me has so much power, they (teams) tend to push me down the order and let me bat the last five or six overs of the innings.
“But it can be very useful if I bat at No. 5, get a few balls under my belt, get some runs and then, going into those last five-six overs, I can be a little bit more destructive,” the 32-year-old emphasised.
In his last three innings, though, Powell batted at No. 5 and aggregated 51 runs.
ODI Cup hopes
The Windies are yet to qualify for next year’s ODI World Cup, but if they do, Powell is sure that the team would surely leave their imprint.
“The guys are improving in each series, and those are good signs. They may not go to the World Cup as favourites... But they will represent themselves and the West Indies people well, just as we did in the T20 World Cup (this year).”