Other than the World Cup last summer, I have never won much in my life, and this year marks the chance for the Indian Premier League to claim some more silverware.
I have been to the Twenty20 finals with both Sussex and Hobart hurricanes in recent times, so I hope to turn out to be lucky with the Rajasthan Royals for the third time.
We went to the knockout stages two years ago, but then Jose Butler and Ben Stokes had to go to England duties and in their absence we tried but could not cross the line.
This year the Indian Premier League represents a fantastic opportunity for some silverware
Let’s go at least one step further this year and hope it makes me happy. I definitely support us to go all the way, but with any team it’s about progress.
In terms of quality, the IPL is like playing for England because all the players involved have played international cricket, played international cricket or not far off. This is a very competitive competition.
I have played in other places around the world and you have to be a versatile game at different levels. You can’t do the same things you do in the UK.
Playing in the UAE does not apply to Rajasthan because some teams are very good at their home ground and not a single team as the entire tournament is played in neutral territory. It might make some good cricket.
We will start on Tuesday against Chennai Super Kings. In terms of their historic victories, I think they will be the winning team again this year.
Other than the Ashes, I have never played much against Steve Smith – I did not bowl against him in the recent T20 matches between England and Australia, he missed one day rivals with concussion – so I look forward to marching here with him.
I will be lining up with the Royals with Steve Smith in the coming weeks
IPL It gives you the experience of playing with different people and against some people who are usually by your side. For example, coming up against my England team players is fun.
I was sitting next to Moin Ali on the plane here. We are coming well, I told him, if he bats against me when we play in Royal Challengers Bangalore, I will come for him!
I hope he tries to bring me down too. This is how we both play.
Sitting next to Moin Ali, the England teammate on the plane, I said I would come for him!
The fact that I did not bowl in the final ODI against Australia in Manchester last week was probably a game changer – however, I firmly believe that other small moments also had an impact on the end.
Oversteping for the first time in an ODI is not big and I could not even regret calling the referee for it. It’s not like I stepped in either.
My foot was always half and half throughout the game – I was going down with plenty of starts behind the line – except for that one ball when Alex Carey was out for the third man we thought we had reduced Australia to 87 for six.
Sure, I wish it hadn’t happened, but it happened, and I can’t change it. Even if we don’t always know what that cause is, I always believe that everything happens for a reason.
All I know is that we are a good team, 2-1 series defeat does not define us. The best thing about this England team is that whether they win or lose, the mood in the team does not change.
This allows us to act fearlessly, and in the second match Australia scored 144 for two, chasing 232 for victory.
My no-ball was probably the game changer in the final ODI against Australia in Manchester
Similarly, when he lost two wickets in the first two balls of the last match and scored 300 runs.
Usually if we got such a big score, Jason Roy and Joe Root would have been great contributors, so this is a happy feature.
Games like this are a reminder that other teams are allowed to play better. The two guys got hundreds of points – Gary and Glenn Maxwell – and it was always hard to control them once they were ‘in’.
But we have a habit of carrying every game we lose in the last over, and I’m so proud of the guys, I’m a part of this team. The best teams never win until it can.
A friend of mine sent me a screen shot of the one-day bowling rankings, and I am now joint-10th with Mitchell Starc.
I think the only way is from here. I have the ambition to come to the same place, however I know it is not going to happen overnight. This may take a year or two, but I’m ready for the trip.
So far, the one day format is the most successful I have had in the UK and there are reasons for that.
This is the format I first played when I went to international cricket, the format I played in more matches for England, so if I continue, I think I will climb that ladder much faster than the T20 or so. Test cricket.
One day format is the one I have had the most success in the UK and there are reasons for that
Some have commented that playing against Australia reveals the best from me, but I would not say I thrive against them in particular.
For me, one thing about cricket is that every game is unpredictable. It just so happens that some of the games I did best were against them.
But I also performed well against other teams in the World Cup with 50 overs, so it is no coincidence that some of my best statistical returns came from matches against Australia.
For now, I have a new challenge with a new team and it is better to raise the noise of the birds than to remove the covers from the cricket ground.
As the life-saving environment created for the international summer was gone, no opportunities were taken here, so we were asked to wear Hazmat suits as soon as we arrived in the UAE and were tested for Covid 19 the next morning.
I have become accustomed to spending my time this way, but it is no less challenging.
I think you have to be in the best mood to come up with something like this because it will eat you up if you don’t. It’s about being positive every day.
My first full day here is my 90s life like this, and I’m looking at 60 people barrel.
Steve Smith (from left), Tom Curran, Andrew Die and I wore Hazmat suits when they arrived
But I’m glad I came to Dubai from the UK because I can go to the beach which is part of the hotel complex here. This is a pleasant change of scenery.
However, getting cricket back on TV is a great achievement – and a reward for going through the difficult yards of three months of isolation.
I look forward to coming back with a smile on my face later this summer.
