Having produced some consistent performances in recent times, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips was snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals for the remainder of IPL 2021.
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Rajasthan Royals’ New Zealand-based cricketer Glenn Phillips has expressed his desire to carve a legacy of his own for the franchise, having been signed for the remainder of the IPL 2021 season. Phillips smashed 254 runs in the recently concluded edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), making his presence felt for the Barbados Royals. The right-handed batter could not help the franchise secure a semi-final berth, but is capable of helping RR reach the same level when the second half of IPL 2021 resumes.
“At first, I knew there were other players ahead of me, and then with players dropping out, this opportunity came about. There were a couple of other teams who wanted me, but the fact that I was playing for the Barbados Royals already, made sense for me to go with the Rajasthan Royals. I felt it was the right decision to stay with the same franchise. After I joined, Sanju Samson had sent a text welcoming me to the Royals so that was good to see. I had subsequent chats with Sangakkara but that was more of a general catch up because I’ve played with him before at the (Jamaica) Tallawahs,” stated Phillips as quoted by the Royals’ official website.
“I feel like I have the ability to control the pace of the game depending on what the situation is like regardless of the position I’m batting at. So, if you lose wickets, I feel like I have the batsmanship to be able to take the game deep and then accelerate at the end. Having power in my game does allow me to take it deep till the end and catch up. I can give the team a fast start as well, but also play the longer innings. If I get an opportunity, I’ll try to do the best that I can. I’m someone who will put the team first every single time and hopefully give the people some entertainment,” added the 24-year-old.
Phillips believes that the conditions in the UAE will be better than what he experienced during the CPL.
“I’ve played in the UAE before and I think from a pitch and turn perspective, I would probably say that the Caribbean pitches are slower and turn more. I’m actually relishing coming over to the UAE as the pitches will be a bit quicker compared to what I’ve been playing on currently, so that will be a nice change. Whether it’s opening, in the middle order, bowling, keeping wickets or wherever in the field, I’ll just do whatever the team needs for me to do. From the perspective of our position on the table, being in the fifth spot is a nice little position at the moment because couple of wins from here and we’ll be well on our way to qualifying.”
The New Zealand cricketer is eager to be a part of the IPL, when it is held in India.
“I’m really looking forward to being a part of a new team and just getting amongst so many experienced players and talking to them and trying to pick their brains. It would be awesome to be part of that full IPL atmosphere in India, but with the IPL taking place in the UAE – it’s the next best thing – and it’s my first IPL season so I’m not going to complain and will take whatever I can get,” expressed Phillips.
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