After Jason Holder played a remarkable role in turning around the fortunes of SunRisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 2020, former star Indian player Gautam Gambhir has been left flabbergasted that such an impact all-rounder like Jason Holder went unpicked in the last IPL auctions.
Holder, the West Indies Test skipper, was only brought into the SunRisers’ camp after Mitchell Marsh got injured in their very first match of this edition.
Gambhir gave his opinions about the same on ESPNCricinfo: “It was very surprising for me that no one actually went after someone like Jason Holder. Jimmy Neesham was picked, Chris Morris was picked, other all-rounders were picked. But Holder, who plays two formats, continues to play international cricket for a team which struggles in a Test and One-Day format. So you’re always under the pump, always under pressure to deliver.”
Gambhir, the former Indian opener, gave a very valid point when he said that Holder knows how to handle the pressure as he plays for a side which struggles in ODI and Test cricket – with Holder having played several gritty knocks for them lower down the order as well as bowling some tough overs in the middle.
When you’re in such a situation most of the time in international cricket, obviously you know how to handle that pressure and that is something which we’ve always spoken about, how important it is for overseas players to handle the pressure of the IPL,” said Holder.
Holder has been a phenomenon in this edition for SRH, both with the ball and the bat. Even after being brough in as a replacement, he sat out of the XI in the first half of the tournament. It was only when SRH wanted to turn things around in a desperate last bid, that Holder was brought into the side.
Holder, grasped his chance with both hands, In just 6 matches he has picked-up 13 wickets while also scoring 55 crucial runs from his three innings, batting lower down the order and remaining not out on two occasions.