Carlos Brathwaite: 6 things you should know about West Indies' match-winner

Delhi Daredevils have made a number of expensive purchases in the 9th IPL auction. One talent whom they have picked up is Carlos Brathwaite, an all-rounder. His base price was just Rs 30 lacs. But he was sold for Rs 4.2 crore.KKR and Delhi Daredevils faced off in the auction to get Brathwaite. Eventually, the Daredevils picked him up for Rs 4.2 crore. Brathwaite doesn’t come with a ton of international experience. He had made his T20 debut in 2011 against Bangladesh. He bowled 3 overs and claimed 1 wicket while allowing 25 runs. Bangladesh won that match by 3 wickets. While any player would undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised at going for an amount way higher than the base price, it also brings with it the burden of expectations. Carlos will be looking to make his name with the Delhi Daredevils.Here are SIX things you should know about Carlos Brathwaite:

#1 A scarred debut

Carlos Brathwaite had to fight through his personal trauma

Carlos Brathwaite started off his first-class career firing on all cylinders in 2011 with a 7 for 90 on debut against Trinidad & Tobago. By October he was picked up to make his international T20 and ODI debut for West Indies. But as his professional career promised to soar, he was hit hard with a blow in his personal life.

A player about to make his debut for the country ought to focus on the sport, to the exclusion of all else. But as Brathwaite was preparing for the tour, it was foud out that his mother had cancer and would need to undergo chemotherapy.

Brathwaite soldiered on with the tour, and he shaved off his head to show support to his mother and sent her the pictures. He credits his mother with having the strength to help him go through with the ordeal.

He said, "She took it better than I did. I was the one stressing all the time wondering if she was okay, crying at times, and she was always the one with a smile on her face."

Brathwaite also cracked a joke when talking about his father and mother. "One is Jekyll and one is Hyde. When they came together it makes the perfect parent," Brathwaite said.

#2 Dravid and Pietersen are his idols

Carlos considers Rahul Dravid and Kevin Pietersen as his idols

Carlos Brathwaite is imposingly tall. A certain short Master Blaster notwithstanding, players who vertically tower above the rest, tend to enjoy some advantage in being a big hitter because of the leverage they are afforded.

One would think that Brathwaite would want to continue in the tradition of the big hitting West Indies batsmen. But in his formative years, Brathwaite idolized a batsman who was a paragon of steady consistency over explosive hitting.

"Funnily enough, when I was growing up I used to bat No. 3 and was very defensive," Brathwaite said. "I used to bat the majority of balls and Rahul Dravid was my idol."

As his game and body evolved, so did Brathwaite's style and technique. He has mentioned that he also idolises Kevin Pietersen.

"A little shift now, in the years since I've bulked up and changed my game a bit I've looked to Kevin Pietersen, the way he puts bowlers under pressure, the way he stamps his authority on the game. If I can have half the career he had I'll be happy with that." he said.

#3 Famous classmate

When a student of any school grows up and ends up representing his country, it is usually the case that the school becomes well known locally for having produced a national level talent. The school then ends up identifying with the player and people refer to the school as the one where a cricketer passed out from.

It is quite rare for one school to churn out a cricketer to the national team, and even then have the cricketer be less famous than one of the other students.

Carlos Brathwaite hails from the Combermere School in Barbados. He has played for West Indies and is playing in the IPL. Laurels which should be good enough to have a school well known for your achievements.

But Brathwaite had a classmate who is way more famous than he is. He said "My claim to fame before my Test debut was having shared a classroom with Rihanna in first and fourth form,”

“Now I can say that probably me sharing a classroom with her and me playing a Test match at the MCG are probably on par,” he added.

#4 Relationship with Kraigg Brathwaite

Carlos and Kraigg Brathwaite both play for West Indies. They both went to the same school and grew up together. One would understandably think that they are brothers.

Kraigg spoke about his experience with the seniors in the school he and Carlos attended. He said, “I think in first form or second form, the guys were telling me ‘I have to come to senior practice, I have to come to senior practice.’ So you know, I went and I got a lot of short balls in the nets and that was my welcome,”

Carlos spoke up for the seniors and contested that there wasn't anything wrong with some light hazing. He said “The young guys were welcomed at school and you know if you get past that initiation you earn massive respect from the older guys and that was something that Kraigg and Shane (Dorwich) did as well.”

If you ask them, they'll tell you that they are brothers from different mothers. But they aren't actually brothers in the literal sense of the word.

#5 National comeback

Carlos Brathwaite celebrates after David Warner is dismissed

Carlos Brathwaite had an impressive run leading up to his national debut. But after that debut tour of Bangladesh, he was dropped from the national side.

Carlos had to work his way back again to get a chance to represent West Indies. His debut ODI was in 2011 and he didn't play for West Indies in an ODI for four years until he was selected in the squad facing off against South Africa in 2015.

He also made his Test debut in 2015. His patriotism shines through when he talks about playing for West Indies in a match against Australia.

"There's a war between bat and ball, West Indies and Australia. I don't take anything off the field personally, so if the opportunity presents itself I'll still have a drink with them after the Test. But out there representing West Indies and the couple of hundred thousand persons back home, I need to do everything to represent this badge and represent them because everyone can't be here to do it for themselves."

Safe to say after his selection in the IPL, he will have many more opportunities to prove himself.

#6 Manchester United fan

By going through his Twitter account, one can easily make out that he is a fan of English football club Manchester United. He is not the only fan of the Red Devils in the West Indian camp, with Chris Gayle also known to be a famous supporter of the club.

The big-hitting all-rounder doesn’t seem to fond of Arsenal though.