At the same time, he's got a potent fuller ball. And, despite being a natural hit-the-deck type of pacer due to his giant frame, he can move the ball around judiciously when conditions permit. In short, he's what every captain would want in their playing XI. Sadly, things haven't gone the 31-year-old's way with constant injuries and subsequent inconsistencies in performances not allowing him to reach his full potential for New Zealand.

The struggles have continued in the IPL too for the Auckland resident​. After a modest 2021 season with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru​, where he bagged 9 wickets from as many games, he went missing before returning last season for the Punjab Kings​, for whom he took 5 wickets in 4 matches.

As fate would have it, Punjab didn't retain him​, but Delhi Capitals procured him at the auction last year for a base price of Rs 2 crore. The problem​, though​, is he's not a sure starter with the franchise blessed with riches in the fast-bowling department on both international and domestic counts.

Now, Jamieson is back ​to square one​, where he first has to hope and pray for a game. And even if he gets one, the pressure to perform will be very high since he's competing with the in-form Lungi Ngidi and Mitchell Starc, as and when he joins the team, for a spot.

Jamieson, in a media interaction on Monday, said sometimes just being part of a set-up is beneficial to a cricketer. "Honestly, not that challenging. Obviously, everyone here, from one to the 20-odd players in the squad, wants to play and contribute to winning games.

"But you're also aware that only four overseas players can play. There's quality from one through to 20. For me personally, there's no better place to get better as a cricketer than the IPL. It's not like you need to play to benefit.

"There are still ways of contributing through training, meetings and helping around the group. For me, it's just the best place to grow your game, whether that's on the field or off it. I want to play, absolutely, but I know there's still a lot to gain just by being in this environment."

Following several battles with injuries, Jamieson said he's finally feeling fit for a considerable period of time. "Yeah, body is good. I've had 15-16 months uninterrupted now​, where I've played pretty much everything. So the body is in a good place. Obviously, there was a bit of a niggly run with a couple of injuries, but I managed to find the root cause of those and fix that up.

"So I'm in a really good place now. It's nice to be here and to be involved, and I'm looking forward to the next couple of months with this team."

Jamieson, who spoke on a wide range of topics, praised Axar Patel's captaincy skills. "He's been really good. From my experience, he's done a great job. He juggles the bowlers well and keeps things simple. He doesn't mind having a laugh, which is important given the pressure and noise around T20 cricket and the IPL.

"Keeping things simple, fun and enjoyable is a real strength. The boys feel like they're in a really good place, and that's down to his captaincy. He's done a great job so far."