DJ Bravo brings with him the Caribbean swagger with both bat and ball. The Indian Premier League has been lucky to have someone like DJ Bravo continue to break all the barriers and entertain one and all in the best T20 league of the world. He has that typical West Indian flair in his batting and his bowling has improved leaps and bounds over the years.
The entertainment he brings is not just restricted to either bat or ball, but his smooth moves on the field while celebrating also leaves a smile on every fans’ face. Let’s relive his exceptional and inspirational journey in the Indian Premier League over the years.
BEGINNING OF THE LOVE AFFAIR
Having played T20 cricket all across the globe, DJ Bravo is the most experienced T20 player in the world and is the only man to pick 500 wickets in the format. He started his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians but his best days have come wearing that iconic yellow jersey of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He represented the Mumbai Indians for the first three seasons and did reasonably well in a team which wasn’t winning at the time.
BEST OF BRAVO IN THE IPL
In the 2011 IPL player auction, the Chennai Super Kings went over and beyond to get DJ Bravo onboard and play at the magnificent Chepauk Stadium. His best years in the IPL came in 2012, 2013 and 2015 for CSK. In 2012, Bravo was magnificent with the bat as he scored 371 runs at an average of 46.37 and a strike rate of 140.53.
In the 2013 IPL, he took the bowling standards of the league to another level, as he picked up 32 wickets in the single campaign to win the Purple Cap award and at the same time, overtook Albie Morkel to become CSK’s highest wicket-taker. He missed out on almost the entire 2014 season due to injury but came back like a lion in the 2015 edition. He picked up 26 wickets in that season and became the first man to win the Purple Cap in two separate campaigns.
His role with the bat has changed over the years. He started off batting higher up the order for the Mumbai Indians but as he gained more experience in the format, his role has changed to that of a finisher.
COMEBACK STORY WITH CSK
The all-rounder was a part of the Gujarat Lions for the two years when CSK were banned from the tournament. But came the 2018 player auction and CSK showered its love for DJ Bravo and retained his services. In 2018, he was Dhoni’s go-to bowler at the business end of the innings as he is known as a death-over specialist in the format. With the bat too, Bravo’s high strike rate of 154.94 and that special knock against the Mumbai Indians, where he pulled off an almost impossible chase, tells us the impact the ‘Champion’ had on CSK’s Championship-winning campaign.
He is three wickets away from picking up 150 wickets in the Indian Premier League and is fifth on the list of all-time highest wicket-takers of the tournament. His ability to deliver in crunch situations of the game and the know-how about the variations required to deceive the batsman is what makes him stand out as a T20 bowler. His contribution to the match isn’t just restricted to bat or ball. He is electric on the field as well and easily saves 5-10 runs for his captain in an innings.
He is a complete T20 player, a captain’s dream and an asset to any team in the world.
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