"This is for DJ Bravo"
Andre Russell summed up the overwhelming feeling in Trinidad as the crowd turned up in droves on Wednesday to celebrate one of its greatest T20 heroes in what was possibly his last CPL game.
Before the start of CPL 2024, Dwayne Bravo had announced he would retire from the league after the end of the ongoing season. But he has played just two games so far this season, and the one against defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain might have been his last, Russell suggested after winning the Player-of-the-Match award and dedicating it to his good friend.
"I'm just happy to be part of this game tonight and that's the reason why so much emotion was kind of behind that celebration," Russell said after Trinbago Knight Riders beat Amazon Warriors by five wickets. "He [Bravo] deserves a win tonight. You have helped me a lot with my cricket - how to outthink the batter and then to be a smarter bowler. You're not going to get it right all the time but once you have the right mindset to get the execution, I think you're on the right way.
"We're going to miss him but I hope he is still going to be around for the rest of the tournament. But he's definitely one we all listen to and we all look up to and you know he might shed a bit of tears tonight inside the changing room, but I appreciate him."
Russell, who has played 130 matches alongside Bravo, including 74 for West Indies, spoke glowing of the impact Bravo has had on his own career.
"I think me being who I am today, Bravo has a lot to do with it," Russell said. "I used to wicketkeep, then I started bowling and batting at No.10, No.11 and 9. Watching him play in Test cricket for West Indies - bowling good pace, fielding and diving and all those things and then when he comes to bat, he gets the job done."
Aura pic.twitter.com/R3Skzxb95U
— Trinbago Knight Riders (@TKRiders) September 19, 2024
The rest of the TKR players and support staff also seemed to suggest this might have been Bravo's final CPL match as they honoured him by wearing his No. 47 shirt and giving him a guard of honour before he stepped onto the field.
Bravo bowled Keemo Paul for 3 and snagged a sharp catch at slip to dismiss Tim Robinson for 34. Then, during the innings break, he was driven around the Queen's Park Oval on a cart as he signed balls and sent them into the crowd.
Bravo is the most decorated player in the CPL, having won five titles in all, including three with TKR. He led TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before captaining St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to their first title in 2021.
He was instrumental in building the Trinidad franchise from scratch before Kieron Pollard joined TKR and took over the captaincy from Bravo. Before the start of the Trinidad leg of the tournament, Pollard also toasted Bravo's role in TKR's success.
"The impact has been fantastic and tremendous in terms of the individuals he has brought to the franchise from all over the world," Pollard said of Bravo in a chat with Radio 90.5 FM. "At one point an Australian coach in Simon Helmot, he won a championship with him, to the local support staff who have been here since the inception. Persons who are well recognised in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean. We have Ruel Rigsby, the physio, and Kelly Sankar [massage therapist], who has been here since the inception and Sheldon [Sewnarine] who is one of the logistics guys.
"So these are the people who he would've put and trusted in supporting roles for him and bringing excellent cricketers of generations - Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum and Johan Bothas of the world - and our own icons in Darren Bravos and Denesh Ramdins and understanding what's needed to build a cricket team. I think he has done a fantastic job and there's no better place to finish his cricketing career in the Caribbean than TKR, a team he has built."
Russell is back with a bang
Having been troubled by an ankle injury during the first half of the CPL, Russell marked his return from a two-week break with five boundaries, including four sixes, in his 36 off 15 balls, to help TKR chase down 149 after a middle-order wobble. Prior to the start of this CPL, Russell had also been rested for West Indies' home T20I series against South Africa, but his return, along with Bravo's, lent so much domestic depth to TKR's XI that they could afford to play with just two overseas players in Tim David and Waqar Salamkheil.
"It feels good to be back in the middle," Russell said. "I've been struggling with an ankle injury over the past couple of weeks and you know these guys [support staff] have been doing some amazing job, getting me back on the park. I was going to say 'thanks to me' because with the dedication and hard work to make sure that I do whatever the physio wants me to do: wake up early morning, head to the gym, in the pool, and do whatever. So, when you work hard you get good results and I'm happy."