"It left a bitter taste in our mouth" - Rovman Powell opens up on World Cup miss, DC release ahead of IPL 2024 and Abu Dhabi T10

The Delhi Bulls, led by West Indian T20I skipper Rovman Powell, were shot out for a paltry 31 in their fifth match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2023 against the New York Strikers. It shouldn't surprise anyone if he doesn't fret much over it, though.

This isn't down to the fact that the Bulls are still well-placed to make it to the knockouts of the tournament at the time of writing. A close observation of Powell's words of wisdom over time - a sound reflection of his clarity - points towards a man who is process-oriented.

It reflected in the way Powell galvanized a less-fancied Jamaica Tallawahs outfit to Caribbean Premier League (CPL) glory in 2022. It came to the fore on multiple instances during the T20I series against India in August this year, which the West Indies won by a 3-2 margin. Notably, he talked up effective means of countering left-arm spin as a team and was proven right.

Cricket is as much a game of strategy, if not more, as it is of man management. Powell comes with the perfect blend of both that has unsurprisingly cast him as a potential leader since the early days of his international career.

Today, he is at the helm of a number of teams - the Barbados Royals in the CPL, the Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10, and an enterprising and exciting young West Indian T20I side.

The ripe age of 30 is often considered the peak time of harvest in a cricketer's career. It's fair to say that Powell's best years are still to come for an ever-improving and keen cricketing brain who continues to make those subtle changes to his game. He's more than just a blaster of the cricket ball, and the top brass in the West Indies' cricketing circles have duly identified and rewarded the player.

Powell's stock has risen considerably in the last few seasons. Call it a coincidence if you will, but it has also overlapped with a time where he has been a regular presence at the Abu Dhabi T10.

When you hear the man himself speak, you realize that it is far from being coincidental. The ripple effect that this byte-sized format has had on his game - something that can be said about his international teammate Nicholas Pooran as well - has been massive.

Sportskeeda caught up with Powell for a quick chat facilitated by the Abu Dhabi T10 on the sidelines of the Bulls' opening victory against defending champions Deccan Gladiators.

From the positive impact of T10 on his cricket to the West Indies missing the flight to the 2023 ODI World Cup, apart from his release into the IPL 2024 auction pool by the Delhi Capitals, he detailed it all and more.

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Excerpts from Rovman Powell's exclusive chat with Sportskeeda

Q. What are your first thoughts on the tournament opener? A fantastic batting display by the Bulls, and when you see that, what are your thoughts as a captain?

Rovman Powell: I think it’s a very good start for us. Credit has to be given to the bowlers to restrict such a powerful Deccan team to 120 on such a good wicket is a good achievement. And our batters, Johnno (Johnson Charles) and Quinton (de Kock), gave us that start that we needed - 60 off four overs. And then I came and finished it off in the end.

Q. When you talk about restricting a team like Deccan to a slightly modest total, it also takes good fielding efforts. What are your thoughts on the fielding today?

Rovman Powell: I think fielding is very very important. Our coach back home always tells us that good fielding makes bad bowling look good. And if we can be a team that can save five or six runs on the field all the time, then definitely that will help us while we’re chasing.

Q. How crucial was your fielding effort at long-on where you averted a six?

Rovman Powell: It was crucial. It saved us six, I didn’t give him (Andre Fletcher, the batter) the momentum to try and hit a six again. I gave my bowler the confidence that the fielders on the field are willing to throw their bodies around for them.

A flying Rovman Powell plucks the ball out of thin air before parrying it back in Delhi Bulls' tournament opener (Picture Credits: Abu Dhabi T10).

Q. How much of an impact do you see T10 cricket having on one’s T20 game? Do you see it upgrading one’s power-hitting skills, having played the format yourself for a few years now?

Rovman Powell: Yeah, definitely. If you can see now, the average scores of T20 are actually going up. That can be credited to T10 because T10 lets guys know that in 10 overs they can get 120. In 10 overs they can get 130. A lot of firepower, and it helps guys with the range of shots that they play also. So I definitely think that T10 will help T20 cricket just as T20 cricket has helped 50-over cricket and 50-over cricket pushed Test cricket for the scores to be higher. And not just be higher but scoring a lot faster.

Q. Has your thought process undergone a change while batting when you’re skipper? Do you see a difference in that regard?

Rovman Powell: No I think when you bat, you don’t bat as a captain. You’re only a captain when you’re on the field and you have to make bowling changes and set the field. That is the only time you are a captain. When you bat, you bat as an individual and not a captain.

Q. Finishing an innings in white-ball cricket is considered a thankless job and rightly so. How do you view this role, having assumed it for the West Indies across formats and now in T10 as well?

Rovman Powell: I’m trying to finish as many games as possible. In the early part of my career that was something that I struggled with. Now that I’ve gained a little bit more experience in trying to finish games, I think it is coming along nicely now.

Q. West Indies failing to make the World Cup must have hurt you and the team. What was spoken within the team after the exit at the Qualifiers?

Rovman Powell: It left a bitter taste in our mouth. The first time in our history we see a 50-over World Cup being played and the West Indies are not there. But hopefully things are implemented and put in place to ensure that the next 50-over World Cup in 2027, West Indies are there.

Q. The IPL retention list came out a few days ago, and your name wasn’t on the Delhi Capitals’ roster. Would you say you were unfortunate to have not gotten a consistent run last season, where you played just three games?

Rovman Powell: Those things do happen. In a career, IPL is such a big league where they’re always looking for players. Players will always be retained, players will always be released. It’s just now for me to continue to put in consistent performances, and I’m sure once I keep putting in those performances their scouts will look on and then give them back the information.

Q. There were signs of things coming together nicely in South Africa earlier this year and then against India too when you won 3-2. As captain, that must be pleasing, right?

Rovman Powell: Yeah it’s a good start to my international captaincy career, two big international teams, two big series wins. Hopefully we can continue that. It’s off the back of good conversations between me, the players and the board and trying to get things in place for the guys to be themselves when playing for West Indies.

Q. A home T20 World Cup next. You must have your eyes set on bringing glory back to the West Indies…

Rovman Powell: Definitely. It’s a long way out. Now it is just basically preparation. You can’t win a World Cup six months out, you win a World Cup when it starts. For now it’s just preparation, fine-tuning the little areas that we think we are weak on and keep on strengthening our strengths.

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Rovman Powell is currently leading the Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 2023.