00:00He may not be a part of the West Indies test team at the moment but keeper
00:04batsman Joshua De Silva remains focused and will continue to make the most of
00:08what's in front of him. Having led the TNT legions to the CWI breakout league
00:13title recently, De Silva's next assignment is the 2025 Republic Bank CPL
00:18with the Trinbego Knight Riders. And what's the state of mind like at the
00:21moment? It's really good. I'm enjoying my time at home so far. We've won the
00:26breakout league seems like a good few months ago already which I think it was
00:29so but it was really good to lead the country in another format and to get
00:33that that win under our belt the inaugural tournament and to win it as
00:36Trinidad and Tobago was really good but yeah just having fun at home enjoying
00:40myself putting in the work and getting ready for CPL. He was with the St Kitts
00:43and Nevis Patriots for a number of years before making the franchise which is
00:46associated with his land of birth. It means a lot to De Silva and his family
00:51that he's representing TKR. Everybody was very happy I was extremely happy a bit of a
00:56surprise. I was with St Kitts for the last five years. I'm grateful to all the
00:59opportunities they gave me. It was a wonderful franchise but happy to be home
01:03with the Knight Riders, play in front of the home fans. I've played in Trinidad
01:06before but on the opposing team so it'll be good to get that support under our belt from
01:11on the home team and yeah hopefully we can bring home a title again and make
01:14that I think it's five for TKR. While the CPL starts on August 14th TKR get ready for their
01:21opener on the 17th against the Patriots. Having played 22 T20 games he sees it as
01:27an opportunity to shine in the abridged format which is why he trains
01:31religiously for what is labeled as the biggest party in sport. Yeah just putting
01:35any work during that as training doing fitness work doing my specific roles that
01:39I might see myself playing in that tournament so just trying to practice those roles and practice my
01:44my T20 game which I never really had the opportunity to put a lot of emphasis on
01:49because I've always been playing test cricket so I think it's a good thing that I have this time
01:54unfortunate for the circumstances but it's a good that I have the time to work on the game for CPL.
01:58The 27 year old has played 33 test matches for the windys scoring one century and five fifties
02:05while averaging 24.76. Added to that De Silva has 127 dismissals behind the stumps. As such he can
02:14only do what's in his power to get back into the test team. This year I went back to first class
02:19cricket and scored uh 500 and 80 odd runs and I put my hand up I did what I can do to to get selected
02:26back onto the test team but um the selectors didn't see it fit so it was it I'm just gonna have to do it
02:31again and again and again just keep putting my just knocking on the door consistently um to get
02:36back on that team I have the experience and yeah whenever the opportunity does come I'm gonna be
02:40grateful grateful to take it with both hands and and yeah to wear the baggy baggy maroon I see it
02:45every day in my room and it it has that motivation to it that wants me to get back on that team and play
02:51test cricket again. De Silva's last test match was in December 2024 against Bangladesh and Jamaica
02:57which saw the asians leveling the series 1-1. Vinod Nawani, Thiefs Export
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