Since the inception of the T20 format, West Indies have emerged as the goldmine of T20 superstars. Right from the explosive Chris Gayle to the all-rounder maverick Keiron Pollard, the West Indies have a man for every situation. And one such man is Jason Holder, who has just come on the radar for his international T20 exploits. A pretty late entry for him, considering that he has donned the captain’s hat for the Windies multiple times.
Let’s look at Jason Holder’s recent bowling performances, particularly in T20Is.
Jason Holder’s T20I career so far
While Holder is renowned for his all-rounder abilities in every format, his international appearance in the T20s till 2018 has been minimal. It was only after 2019 that he bowled more than 30 overs in a year.
So far, the tall guy has grabbed 38 wickets at an average of 24.57. Unfortunately, these numbers were worse and have improved since 2021. This was why he was probably not selected in West Indies’ initial squad at last year’s World Cup.
The team management could have considered the exposure he got in the IPL at the same venues and the brilliant 4-for he delivered earlier in July against Pakistan. He was called in the last three games, but alas, it was too late for him and his team.
An astonishing performance against England
Jason Holder, the bowler, dominated the recently concluded T20 series between West Indies and England. His performance throughout the series was such that he became the stark difference between the two teams. A number 10 ranked team defeated the top-ranked T20 team.
Holder grabbed his first five-wicket haul and second four-wicket haul in the five T20Is. The dominance was such that he was one of the only three bowlers who delivered a maiden in the series and singlehandedly made 2022 his most successful year in terms of wickets taken (15).
At an incredible bowling strike rate of 7.4, Holder made sure to leave an impact on every game of the series. With wickets in each match, Holder made his home crowd of Barbados prouder than before.
Way Forward
Holder will be part of the West Indies’ tour of India. After a successful campaign against England at home, he now will be looking to prove his effectiveness in foreign conditions and against his toughest competition. He has his worst bowling numbers against India in T20Is, with only one wicket in three games at an average of 142.
In ODIs, he also has his second-worst bowling average of 53.33, bettered by only Bangladesh (54.25). However, this stat does not prove to be a relief as he has played the most against India in the ODI format, and thus India remains his most challenging opponent.
But with the way he has raised his game after the snub he suffered last year at the World Cup, the 6’7″ giant is more than motivated to fix his place for this year’s edition, and we might see some turnaround from his side in the white-ball format against India.