Powell Proud of Successful West Indies T20I Captaincy Stint

West Indies middle-order powerhouse Rovman Powell has expressed pride in his tenure as T20I captain, describing it as “pretty successful” and “very good”. Leading the side from ninth to third in the world rankings, Powell oversaw a period of resurgence for the Caribbean team, all while marking the personal milestone of playing over 100 T20Is for his country.

Powell captained West Indies in 37 T20 Internationals between March 2023 and December 2024, including at the 2024 T20 World Cup, which the West Indies co-hosted alongside the USA. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo during the ongoing ILT20 in Dubai, Powell reflected on his journey:

“A lot of achievements in your career you didn’t initially set out for,” he said. “You start with the ambition to play for West Indies, and now I’ve played over 100 T20Is. Moving the team from ninth to third in the world rankings—those are moments you feel proud about.”

Powell emphasised that his captaincy fostered stronger interactions with players, both at the national level and in franchise cricket. “You see what players are doing in different leagues and how they can contribute to West Indies cricket,” he explained. “Whenever people saw you as captain, they’d ask how far they are from playing for West Indies and what they need to do.”

International cricket remains his priority, and Powell has balanced playing for ten franchise teams across seven global leagues by choosing competitions that do not clash with international fixtures. He played 73 T20 matches in 2024 and 51 so far this year, carefully evaluating his performance on a competition-by-competition basis rather than match-by-match.

As a middle-order batter, Powell prefers No. 5, where he has scored 2,069 runs in 105 innings at a strike rate of 146.11, allowing him to build an innings rather than simply hitting big shots in the death overs. “At No. 5, you have the opportunity to construct an innings. It’s about taking a few balls to settle in, understanding the pitch, and then laying out your scoring plan,” he said.

Now 32, Powell has handed over the T20I captaincy to Shai Hope, but his immediate focus is clear: after being retained by KKR in the IPL, he will turn his attention to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka starting 7 February, aiming to help West Indies progress beyond the knockout stages for the first time since 2016.

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