Playing IPL is a one-off opportunity I can’t really turn down: Chris Woakes

As the news of the ban on Andre Russell surfaced due to doping violations, KKR were on course for their pursuit for a genuine all-rounder in this year’s auction of the IPL. KKR were fairly satisfied with the purchase of three key players, i.e. Boult, Woakes and Coulter-Nile. Woakes impressed one and all with his recent exploits with both bat and ball in the recently concluded T20I series against India.

One could easily make out the excitement of the Warwickshire man as he described how much playing in this tournament meant for this English international. In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, he went on to state that being a part of one of most sought after leagues in the world is something no one can refuse.

Quoting the all-rounder, “For a local lad who has come through the ranks to be playing in a huge tournament that’s watched around the world is a good thing. It’s a one-off opportunity I can’t really turn down”

Woakes has been a part of the English side in all three formats of the game. Having said that, he has not been able to cement his place in the side. Therefore, he believes that honing his skills with the white ball will help him sustain in the squad for a long time and the IPL is the best possible platform to develop the set of skills required in white-ball cricket.

He said, “I hope to go to that next level and develop my white-ball cricket across the board really. Death bowling is an area of my game that has improved dramatically, I think, but to be considered a world-class death bowler you have to do it against the best players in the IPL in high-pressure situations. Even though I’ve come out on the right side of a few situations in the past there are things that I could do a lot better than I am at the minute”

When India needed 16 runs off the final over in the 3^rd ODI at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, this year. Woakes won the game for his team despite his first two balls being smashed for six and four by Kedar Jadhav, “To do it in Kolkata at their home ground in front of their home fans and with the owners probably watching must have helped.”