Rovman Powell on his stint as West Indies’ T20 skipper, says he is ‘proud’ of ‘pretty successful’ time as captain.
Rovman Powell is “proud” of the “pretty successful” and “very good” way he guided the West Indies team from ninth to third place during his T20I captaincy. Powell is also appreciative of the fact that he has represented the West Indies in more than a hundred Twenty20 Internationals (107).
From March 2023 until December 2024, Powell served as West Indies’ full-time captain in 37 Twenty20 Internationals, including the 2024 T20 World Cup, which the West Indies co-hosted with the United States.
“A lot of the stuff in your career you didn’t set out to achieve,” Powell told ESPNcricinfo in a media interaction organised by Dubai Capitals during the ongoing ILT20. “You started with the ambition to play for West Indies. That was the goal. And now the global landscape of cricket has grown over the last 10-15 years so much where now you also play for different franchises around the world.
“I set out to play for West Indies, and now I’ve played over 100 T20I games – it’s something that I’m grateful for. I’ve moved the team from ninth in the rankings to No. 3 in the world. Those are the little things that during the duration of your career you feel proud about. I’ve won franchise titles with various teams around the world. That is also something you feel proud about.
“My captaincy stint with the West Indies was very good – a pretty successful stint. [It’s] something that I’m grateful for. It has fostered better interactions with the players. You open your eyes to each and every one in these leagues as soon as they’re playing, you look to see what they are doing, and how much they can contribute to West Indies cricket. So it fostered those healthy conversations. Whenever people would see you as captain, they would ask how far they are from playing for West Indies, and what they need to do.”
Powell replaced Nicholas Pooran as T20I captain, and he continues to prioritise international cricket. Powell has played for 10 teams in seven franchise leagues worldwide. How does he make room on a small calendar?
“After you play international cricket, you pick a few competitions that don’t have any international clashes,” he said. “Fortunately, ILT20 is one, [and] IPL is one. I haven’t been to the PSL in a few years because there’s always a clash. We have our own local competition, which is the CPL. When there is no international cricket, you see the other leagues that are going on, and if you can go there for a few games, that also works.”
Shai Hope, 32, has taken Powell’s place as West Indies T20I captain, although he still has a few months ahead of him. First off, after being retained by KKR, he won’t have to worry about the IPL auction next week. However, after the ILT20 concludes in early January, attention will shift to the T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka starting on February 7. Powell has the chance to help West Indies move at least one step further and make himself proud once more, as he hasn’t advanced to the tournament’s knockout stages since winning it in 2016.