To see West Indies at No.3 in T20I rankings a pleasing feeling: Rovman Powell

West Indies captain Rovman Powell said he is happy to see the side go third on the ICC T20I team rankings ahead of their clash against Afghanistan on June 18, Tuesday.

The 2-time champions were in a tight spot some time ago and in need of a revival as they had missed the ODI World Cup last year and the T20 World Cup in 2022. Under Powell’s captaincy, they have enjoyed a resurgence and climbed to the third spot.

Speaking ahead of their top of the table Group C clash with Afghanistan, Powell said they go have pressure playing a World Cup at home but it is all about managing it in the end. The batter was pleased to see West Indies continue their rise up the rankings after being in the bottom half when he took over and feels it is special to be in a side that is ranked top 3 in the world at the moment.

“I think pressure is always there, especially when you’re at home, especially when you’re playing a World Cup at home. Pressure is always there, but it’s for us as individuals to manage those pressures. And I think for me as captain, when I started this journey 12 or 14 months ago, when I took over as captain, we were at eight or nine in the ranking.”

“To see us at number three now in the world is a pleasing feeling. And it shows that not just myself, but the players are coming together and we’re doing something right. I’ve never played in a West Indies team that is ranked number three in the world. So that for me is something special and hopefully, just hopefully, we can continue to climb those rankings,” said Powell at the press conference.

Good practice before Super 8
West Indies and Afghanistan have been dominant in their group and Powell feels their opponents on Tuesday have a lot of match winners in their lineup. The West Indies skipper feels that his side will have to be at the top of their game to beat them and the match will be good practice before heading into the Super 8 matches.

“Obviously, it’s a top of the table clash. Afghanistan have been playing good T20 cricket and consistent T20 cricket. They have a lot of match winners. So, it’s something that we have to come with our best game. As I said before, they’re playing good T20 cricket. So, it’s an opportunity for us to play against another world class side. Very good practice going into the Super 8 games,” said Powell.

West Indies will be in Group 2 for the Super 8 stage with the USA, England and South Africa.