Jason Holder’s game is marked by calmness and dignity, unlike the carefree and adventurous spirit that West Indian cricketers have traditionally embodied. As a Test all-rounder, he’s one of the best in the business. As a limited-overs cricketer, he’s in the ascendancy, enjoying the tremendous success of late.

The T20I home series against England, which the Windies won 3-2 earlier this year, is a testament to Jason Holder’s enhanced value in the shortest T20 format. The tall Barbadian pacer finished the series with as many as 15 wickets at 9.6 runs apiece, including career-best figures of 5/27 and four wickets in consecutive balls including a hat-trick in the decider. He had picked 4/7 in the opening game.

Jason Holder Opens Up On Lucknow Mentor Gautam Gambhir

Criminally underrated, perhaps due to his unassuming nature, Jason Holder has made some telling contributions with the willow too. His pyrotechnics in the lower-middle order have proved critical for the teams he has represented since 2020, and his classy batting style is now bolstered by ample power. He has also incredible fitness besides his name, which makes him a complete package. In this regard, Jason Holder resembles the legendary Kapil Dev who never missed a match on account of fitness issues.

The former West Indies captain got a bumper deal when IPL debutants Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) snapped him up for ₹8.75 crores at the mega auction in February this year. This is his fourth franchise in the cash-rich league, preceded by stints at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Teaming up with a plethora of game-changers, the all-rounder Jason Holder played his part in LSG’s third-place finish in the league phase and is expected to put up another impressive all-around display when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens later today.

In an exclusive chat on Tuesday evening, the 30-year-old spoke about his resurgence in white-ball cricket, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir’s impact, and the rise of Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan.

“In white-ball cricket, I’ve worked very hard to develop my all-around skills, particularly my bowling. I’ve spent a lot of time working on my variations, which has improved my death bowling massively.

“I’m also trying to be more versatile with the bat, playing the dual role of building and finishing innings. For me, these are the key ingredients for being successful in white-ball cricket,” said Jason Holder on reinventing white ball game.

“To be honest, GG hasn’t changed much. He’s still a fierce competitor. He’s one of those people who always wants to win and is very astute in terms of his knowledge and tactics. It has been great to reunite with him at LSG. I first met him in 2016 and it has been an absolute honour to work with him,” said Jason Holder about Gautam Gambhir.

“One of the things that stands out about him is his fierceness. He’s firm in his decisions and demands excellence from the boys, which is needed in order to be successful at this level,” said Jason Holder about Gautam Gambhir.

” I think it’s very hard to stay fit given the amount of cricket we play these days. Staying fit is all about topping up and recovering before the next game,” said Jason Holder on keeping himself fit.

“Yes, I really want to move up the order in T20 cricket. It will give me more time and more deliveries to settle at the crease. I can then become a lot more destructive and put pressure on the opposition. That’s [batting promotion] certainly a long-term goal. Hopefully, I can do the necessary things to move up the order and play more match-winning knocks,” said Jason Holder.

Jason Holder has picked 14 scalps in 11 IPL 2022 games averaging 24.71 and is Lucknow’s 2nd highest wicket-taker this season so far. But he’s a bit too expensive as his economy rate of 9.22 depicts. He has also scored 58 runs averaging 9.67 with the bat.

Jason Holder: Matured Avesh Khan And Mohsin Khan Are Outstanding In Their Own Right And Are Future Of Indian Cricket

After representing the Chennai Super Kings in 2013, the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2015, and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2016, Jason Holder was back in the IPL 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Jason Holder, who can bowl at any stage of the game and use the long handle to change the course of the match, is a solid addition to LSG’s squad.

“Both Avesh and Mohsin have been outstanding in their own right. They’ve shown a lot of maturity, which is pleasing for two young fast-bowlers. They are extremely confident and have consistently performed under pressure on the big stage. That’s the most promising thing about them. They are very composed, which bodes well for their future as well as the future of Indian cricket ,” said Jason Holder on Avesh and Mohsin Khan.