Jason Holder – The underrated T20 all-rounder who goes unnoticed

262 career runs in 35 T20Is at a strike rate below 124 as a batter, 38 wickets in those many games at an economy of eight as a bowler. These numbers might not give the best of readings for an all-rounder, but the numbers also many times not narrate tell the entire story. And Jason Holder’s case is one where numbers hide more than what they reveal.

At the outset, it will be fair to say that Holder is underrated and barely receives the accolades he deserves. But that does not bother, annoy or fluster him. There is a sense of ruthlessness with which he continues to deliver and perform for his team, no matter which – the West Indies or the Sunrisers Hyderabad or the Barbados Tridents.

There is something that fails to meet the eyes when Holder is looked at from the lens of numbers. But when looked at from the angle of what he does in a team and the ease with which he pulls those things off, one realises the legend of Holder.

He was at his scintillating best against England in the recently-concluded five-T20I series, where he ended up as the Player of the Series; he was ‘the player’ indeed and that by some distance, bringing to the fore his full repertoire to make sure West Indies ended on the right side of the result.

He tallied 15 wickets – the most in a bilateral T20I series – at a sensational 9.60 and strike rate of 7.4, conceding runs below eight against the world No. 1 England’s ballistic batting lineup, while he also stormed into the record books by becoming only the fourth bowler to claim a double hat-trick in T20Is after Rashid Khan, Lasith Malinga and Curtis Campher. 

It is Holder’s ability to change the game singlehandedly that makes him stand out from the rest. He belongs to the sought-after breed of players – an all-format seam-bowling all-rounder. Currently world’s best Test all-rounder as per ICC rankings, Holder is never seen being celebrated as much as a certain Ben Stokes or a Hardik Pandya. But on his day, the West Indies all-rounder could well dwarf anyone. The efforts like the one against England is only one example of a severely and unjustly underrated Holder’s incredible abilities.