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Dwayne John Bravo is as wholesome a package as possible in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He picks up wickets, cooks up songs and shakes a leg. Like he did after dismissing Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL 2022 opener, swaying with his right index finger out in a signature move from his new song, Number One. “Hopefully I can pick up some more wickets and do the dance more,” he says.
If he does pick up one more wicket, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowler will become IPL’s leading wicket-taker, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s tally of 170.
In this chat, the former West Indies captain talks about the significance of an impending IPL record, his assessment of MS Dhoni’s decision to step down as CSK captain days ahead of the team’s opening match and why T20 bowling isn’t all about the need for speed. Excerpts:
Music and cricket—you are living the best of both worlds even at 38, isn’t it?
Well, yeah. I try to live my life in a way that I can inspire others. For those who maybe can’t experience the life that I have, maybe they can live it through me by seeing the way I live. I live a happy-go-lucky kind of life. I let my talent speak for itself. I try to incorporate the two, because I believe both music and sports go hand in hand in a lot of ways. Both are stress-relievers.
There’s something about CSK and player loyalty. How much did it mean for you to be bought back by the franchise (for ₹4.4 crore) at the auction?
It’s proven to be successful over the years. When you look at CSK and retention, we have the fewest number of players across seasons. It’s good that they believe in continuity, believe in giving people opportunity and believe in a family-like environment. Players feel appreciated here. So, we do whatever it takes to make sure we win and make the franchise and our fans proud.
CSK are taking a new direction under a new captain. It was a tough start for Ravindra Jadeja with the loss to KKR but do you expect him to grow as a leader?
Definitely, he will grow as the season progresses. He is surrounded by good players, so he will grow into it. It’s not the first time that CSK have lost the first game of a season; even under MS (Dhoni) we’ve lost. That doesn’t define his leadership. He is well supported by every one of us. We’re going to make sure that his leadership looks good and the team does well.
Talking of Dhoni, did you see his decision to give up captaincy coming?
Yeah, why not? With someone like MS, anything is possible. He is a legend of the game, and he has been there more than anyone else in the business. So, it was expected. I believe it is perfect timing. It’s good that he has done it early in the season. It will do well for his confidence and for us as a group as well.
You’ve begun well personally, picking up three wickets to go level with Malinga as the all-time leading wicket-taker in the IPL. How much do these records mean to you and how special would it be to eventually sit on top?
It’s not something that I keep a track of. But because it’s such a big milestone, I have always seen it up on social media. Before the IPL started, I knew I needed four wickets to pass him; now I know it’s just one. I’m more concerned about winning games and titles for my team. Having said that, personal accolades are good because they give you a different satisfaction. IPL is the biggest tournament in the world. It’s been 15 years and I’ve been here from the start. To be one wicket away from being the all-time record holder in the toughest T20 tournament in the world, 15 years ago I would have never thought so. Coincidentally, back in the first season, Malinga was the player I replaced at Mumbai Indians (Malinga got injured ahead of the tournament). And now, we both stand on top of the table. Malinga is someone who I believe—and this is me saying humbly—is easily the greatest T20 bowler to have ever played the game.
You stressed on 15 years. How have you changed as a bowler from say when you were 28 to now, in that you’re still as effective in a so-called young man’s game?
(Smiles) This is a young man’s game, but CSK have proven that it’s a game for the experienced too. Yes, you can say it’s a young man’s game but for me, I limit myself a lot more now. When I was younger, I experimented a lot, tried many different things. But now with the ball, I have more experience and my knowledge of the game is wider. Because the game has developed so much—small grounds, good quality batsmen, the margin for error is slim—I keep it a lot simpler now. I keep working on my yorkers, getting better at them, coming up with different game plans on a given day and trying to execute them.
Express pace bowlers have been at a premium this season. How can bowlers without that raw pace also make an impact in the T20 format?
While pace is good, it is something that everyone faces around the world. Bowlers need to understand this. That alone won’t make you stand out. If you look at the guys who have had consistent success in the IPL—the likes of Malinga, (Jasprit) Bumrah and myself—what we all have in common is our ability to bowl yorkers, good slower balls and, in Bumrah and Malinga’s case, short balls. It’s that simple. Three deliveries, that’s it. But you see guys now that have a lot of pace and they try to bowl all types of deliveries. And it becomes costly.
You’re mostly called upon to bowl when the pressure is on. Is keeping it simple and sticking to one or two options how you think even in that moment?
Yes, because by the time I come on to bowl, it’s crunch time. It’s the business end of the game where the margins get slimmer. So, I have to narrow down my focus. Bowling at the death is like a penalty shootout. It’s that serious and that intense. The team’s success depends on how you bowl those last few balls. So, it’s something you have to train for; you can’t just wake up and say, ‘Okay, I want to bowl the last over in the IPL final or semi-final.’ You have to prepare for it. You will find some problems when the opportunity comes, so I make sure I train for these different scenarios. That’s why I have been able to stay on top for so long. I don’t get comfortable with my previous achievements. I don’t miss a single IPL game on TV. I watch to make sure that when my turn comes, I don’t make the same mistakes that the other players have made. I want to keep improving and learning.
With Deepak Chahar nursing an injury, CSK’s seam attack looks a bit inexperienced on paper. Do you feel like you have to step up more and be the leader of the attack?
Well, I have been the leader of the attack for quite some time now. But it’s not about being a leader. It’s about me passing on my knowledge as much as possible and trying to create a game plan with the bowling coach that we can buy into as a team. We don’t have that express pace attack like some other teams or a lot of experienced bowlers, but we can try to be the smartest bowling team. That’s what we are aiming for.
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