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West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of he IPL 2023 season for INR 5.75 crore and provided a much-needed balance to the side.
He played eight games in IPL 2023, picking up four wickets at an economy rate of 9.96. While RR didn't make it to the playoffs after reaching the final in the previous edition, Holder was simply in awe of the incredible team environment that the Royals were able to form.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda from Rajasthan Royals' High Performance Centre, Jason Holder opened up on just how well the team was gelled despite the ups and downs in the IPL 2023 season. He said:
"One thing that stood out for me was that no matter how good or bad a result we had, we all came together still the same way. We obviously felt hurt when we lost, but we still stuck close which is really important in any side. As a group, we are quite level headed and the group is one where there's definitely a family vibe and that's a real environment you need to be in to be successful."
Jason Holder is currently in India attending the Royals' camp, trying to get back to his best rhythm ahead of his upcoming assignments. He also spoke about the conversations he has had with RR's new bowling coach Shane Bond and added:
"We have already started the communication as in what I want to work on, having a set plan, not only for this camp but for the next two years as well. It's important for me to kind of re-establish myself and stay relevant. I want to harness the opportunity to play more franchise cricket. I have had open discussions with Bondy as well on improving different phases of the game. About my batting, I am working more on role clarity."
Jason Holder on facilities in Rajasthan Royals' High Performance Centre
The Rajasthan Royals have tried to give their players the best possible facilities at the High Performance centre with about eight different kinds of pitches and other state-of-the-art infrastructure. Jason Holder has felt the difference in quality when compared to the grounds where he trains back in the Caribbean.
On this, he stated:
"It's brilliant. Unfortunately in the Caribbean we don't have facilities that are equivalent to this. We just have normal grounds. There's no training ground. Having the opportunity to be here and having different variations in pitches and just more hands on deck is a plus for me. I just want to utilise as much as I can in the coming days and get quite a big benefit from being here."
Jason Holder further added:
"I just found it necessary to get away from the Caribbean, do something away from the Caribbean and do a lot more specific into what I need to work on. It is a really good family that the Royals have here and they portray that family image. I get to train in different conditions and a lot more structured environment here right now than in the Caribbean in the present. Just trying to get back into the feel of cricket and get my physical fitness up as well and working on tactical skills too."
It will be interesting to see the players that the Royals retain with the IPL 2024 auction set to take place on December 19.
