Mumbai, May 9: Delhi Capitals batsman Rovman Powell said that captain Rishabh Pant has kept his word to give the Jamaican a role he will like in the batting order during IPL 2022.
In the current tournament, Powell has been a lower-order batsman for Delhi, hitting an astonishing six while racking up 205 runs in eleven matches at an average of 25.63 and a high strike rate of 161.41.
“Rishabh Pant is someone we look up to in the Caribbean because he is a good player. Every time we play him (in international cricket), we have meetings on how to reduce his cricket prowess and how to keep him quiet. And after I was acquired by Delhi Capitals, Rishabh told me that he is excited to have me as part of the team and that he will give me the role that I would like. And he has kept his word,” Powell said in the sixth episode of The Delhi. Capital Podcast.
Powell commented that he feels at home with the Delhi camp in his first IPL outing. “Coming from the Caribbean, it was very important for me to come here and feel at home. And the capitals of Delhi have accepted me as part of their family and I feel at home here. Being comfortable in an environment can help you put your best performances. And I realized that everyone in the team is behind you whether you have a good day or not, and that’s very important.” Powell’s journey joining the Delhi side from the Caribbean to Mumbai went well, except for his luggage, which was nowhere to be found. “When I landed in Mumbai, they told me that the airline didn’t have any of my bags. The only thing I had with me was my hand luggage when I left the airport. I didn’t have any extra clothes, so I spent 2-3 days in a towel in my hotel room”. Powell further explained that he is playing cricket as a means of lifting his family out of poverty, a pact he had made in childhood. “I come from a small town (in Jamaica) where farming is the main income for most families. But since my childhood I dreamed that I would lift my family out of poverty through cricket and education.” Powell signed off revealing that had he not been a cricketer, he would have been a soldier. “Cricket has done well, thanks to the grace of God. Before I became a professional cricketer, I was going to become a soldier. If cricket hadn’t worked out, I would have been a soldier.” With five wins and six losses so far, Delhi will need to boost their chances of making the playoffs when they take on the Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday at the DY Patil Sports Academy.