Jason Holder Had to wait for his chance with the Gujarat Titans, but when the opportunity came, the West Indies all-rounder gave the clearest reminder yet as to why the franchise invested Rs 7 crore in him at the auction. Holder, who replaced Glenn Phillips in the XI, produced a decisive all-round performance in Gujarat’s four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday.The 34-year-old took 2/29, taking 3 catches, including a rather contentious one, before contributing with the bat in a 30-run stand with Rahul Tewatia as GT beat RCB for 155 runs and completed the chase with 25 balls to spare. Understandably, he was named man of the match.Holder’s performance is a timely validation for the Titans, who traded Shervan Rutherford to Mumbai Indians in the off-season and are looking for a reliable mid-order option who can bowl. “When we were looking for Jason at the auction, our intention was to have him be able to play both with the bat and with the ball, so he really provides that for us,” said Vikram Solanki, GT director of cricket. “If you look back over the past year, maybe a little longer than that, his numbers at five and six have been outstanding.“Holder, of course, has all the qualities you need. Physically he’s a strong guy and has a lot of reach and influence with the bat, so all the technicalities are covered. He brings an extra dimension now, if you like, of being a really experienced campaigner. I think that’s what’s playing out,” Solanki said.Holder’s impact was not limited to his wickets. He caught a catch and bowled Patidhar to end a 44-run deficit before taking golden chances to send back Tim David and Krunal Pandya. He helped Tewatiya stabilize the chase with the bat.Solanki said Holder’s growing understanding of his game through years of international and franchise cricket has made him useful in pressure situations. “He has proven his prudence over the years in international and franchise cricket. He will only get better,” Solanki said. “Any player who has played around the world for a long time, led teams like he has, played in different teams, you start to understand what to do in any given situation. Jason would definitely do that. “Holder has played 96 T20 matches for West Indies and captained the national team in various formats. Solanki said that these experiences have also benefited young GT players a lot. “Often you come across people who have a lot of experience, but they may not communicate well. Jason is always willing to have a conversation, whether it’s with the coaching staff or with the youngsters around him,” Solanki said, adding, “It’s a perfect storm – a skilled cricketer with experience who wants to be part of the team, a thorough gentleman and very expressive when he talks.“
