Jamieson Eyes New-ball Role In First Year With DC, Hails IPL As ‘best Place To Grow’

Jamieson eyes new-ball role in first year with DC, hails IPL as ‘best place to grow’ (Image Source: IANS)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is yet to get a chance to play for Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2026. But the tall pacer stated that when the call to play comes for him, he anticipates taking new ball bowling duties, though he admitted to his role yet to be formally defined by the team think tank.

After featuring for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2021 IPL, Jamieson returned to playing the tournament as an injury replacement for Lockie Ferguson at Punjab Kings. At the back end of the competition, Jamieson picked up five wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 9.8, including picking a three-fer in the final against RCB.

"Not really – just because I haven't been in the team for those first couple of games, so you don't really have too much of an idea around where you're going to slot in. I think that probably comes once you're sort of - if you're fit into an 11 or 12 - you sort of work out, I guess, the mix of your players and bowlers at that point of time.

"So nothing really around role clarity. I mean, I'd expect that it'd be the new ball stuff, but equally being flexible as probably every bowler is nowadays. You've got to be flexible across the whole innings. So, nothing sort of set in stone as of yet, but if I do get a chance to play, then I'm sure that'll come," said Jamieson, while replying to a question from IANS in a virtual roundtable chat ahead of the side taking on Gujarat Titans on Wednesday.

DC have won two out of two games so far, and Jamieson has found Axar Patel to be an impressive skipper who has managed the bowlers well and kept things calm, apart from not minding to have a laugh. All of this has kept the team atmosphere light and joyful, with the playing group finding themselves in a good space, especially with in-form young batter Sameer Rizvi being impressive in taking the side home twice in tricky run chases.

When asked about DC pacer Mukesh Kumar's post-match remark after the six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians – on him drawing inspiration from Josh Hazlewood consistently hitting Test match-like lengths - Jamieson endorsed that thinking wholeheartedly.

"I think what Mukesh alluded to, like that simplicity piece is what we're all striving for, right? Like, you've all got your strengths and stuff and you're trying to stick to that. I think that's something that, obviously, Hazlewood's done well for a long period of time now, and Mukesh did it brilliantly in the last game, is how can you have that strength and that resolve to just hold firm?

"I think, when guys are hitting you for boundaries, it's very easy to get sort of under pressure and trying to change and think you have to do something different. It's almost a bit of a strength of character thing to be like, ‘Nah, I'm just going to hold there. I know that's my strength.’

“I know that gives me the best chance of getting guys out and then trying to hold through the powerplay. It's not going to work every game. I think when the wickets are really good, guys can get away. But I think it's a real key sort of thing to try and hold it firmly on,” he elaborated.

For Jamieson, who’s coming after playing all five T20Is for New Zealand against South Africa, the broader motivation for being part of IPL goes well beyond the immediate question of selection or role. Instead, he views the tournament as an unmatched arena for self-improvement - one where the pressure is relentless and the rewards, in terms of growth, are equally huge.

"In terms of the IPL now, for me, I think it's like the premier tournament in the world, right? So you always want to be a part of that. You learn so much. I think even having played a fair bit of cricket now, you're constantly trying to learn and grow.

For Jamieson, who’s coming after playing all five T20Is for New Zealand against South Africa, the broader motivation for being part of IPL goes well beyond the immediate question of selection or role. Instead, he views the tournament as an unmatched arena for self-improvement - one where the pressure is relentless and the rewards, in terms of growth, are equally huge.

"But, like I said, I think just for me, it's the best place to grow and to become a better cricketer and to challenge yourself. For us as athletes, that's what you want to do - you want to put yourself in the arena where it's the hardest and see whether you can cope with it,” he concluded.

Article Source: IANS