MUMBAI: A couple of months ago, Gujarat Titans had a fierce bidding war with Chennai Super Kings for the West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder before acquiring his services for ₹7 crore during the IPL auction. It's not that the 34-year-old pace bowling all-rounder has not played in the league in the past. In fact, he has played in seven editions of the league between 2013 and 2023. But he went unsold in the next two editions as his T20 exploits diminished.
In the meantime, he also missed the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup due to injury. Holder had earlier opted out of the West Indies' tour of Australia for a Test series to focus on the home World Cup but the injury derailed his plan. Despite playing in two previous editions and being part of the squad for the 2016 edition that West Indies won, the home World Cup was a dream for Holder. However, he ended up watching it from the sidelines.
A globe-trotter featuring in various T20 leagues, the former West Indies captain was heartbroken and needed to reinvent himself. The preparations for the same had already begun as Holder sensed the need to upgrade himself with the growing demands of the shortest format of the game. He started utilising his 6'7" frame to hit the deck hard and generate variations to grow into a T20 death-overs specialist.
2025 changed everything as he claimed more than 80 wickets in T20 cricket globally and by claiming three wickets in the West Indies' first match against Scotland at the Eden Gardens, he became the first West Indian to claim 100 wickets in T20Is.
Romario Shepherd with his hat-trick and a five-wicket haul and Shimron Hetmyer with his 36-ball 64 might have walked away with accolades but it was Holder who produced the first breakthrough. He sent back Scotland opener Michael Jones off his second ball of the first over, second of the innings and then had the wicket of captain Richie Berrington. By then Scotland were going strong at 115/3 in the 14th over. Fittingly enough, Holder came back in the death to claim his third victim in the form of Mark Watt to end Scotland's challenge.
West Indies skipper Shai Hope, during an interaction with media after their first match, spoke on their World Cup triumph at the venue 10 years ago and how presence of players from the winning outfit is a boost for the team. “If we were placed at a different venue the same mindset would have applied, the same plans, maybe slightly different depending on the type of surfaces that you’re playing on. But we have a few members in our squad who have been a part of that; from coach to a couple players in Johnson Charles and Jason Holder, so that does instill some extra confidence in the dressing room and a bit of experience as well. Being in that position, knowing what it feels like to lift the trophy, just trying to share that amongst the group, I’m sure the guys are really ready to go, but it’s a good feeling to have two guys who’ve been there and done that in a sense,” Hope said.
Using height to his advantage to generate steep bounce, Holder can now open the bowling, bowl in the middle overs and come back at the end to contain the flow of runs. With him continuously adapting, the all-rounder has improved his bowling and batting averages as well. Since January last year, he is averaging 18.28 with the bat which was 16.36 before that. His bowling average also saw a remarkable improvement as it is 23.97 in that period in comparison to 28.87 till December 31, 2024.
The two-time champions will be up against England, who have also won the trophy twice, at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. With him now an integral part of the playing XI, Holder can dream of repeating their feat of 2016 albeit by contributing to the team's cause this time.