Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain and current mentor, Gautam Gambhir, praised Sunil Narine, the West Indies mystery spinner, whom he brought into the team in 2012. Sunil Narine has been a key player for KKR, particularly during their title-winning campaigns under Gambhir, where he took 24 and 21 wickets in the 2012 and 2014 seasons respectively. Since then, Narine has amassed a total of 164 wickets for the team.
I had seen Sunil Narine’s struggles- Gautam Gambhir
However, Narine has experienced a decline in form with his bowling since 2014. Although he had decent seasons in 2016 and 2018, KKR has not been able to clinch the title since then. Gambhir openly praised the mystery spinner, reflecting on his impact back in 2012. He said,
“When I talk about sacrifice, this young shy boy came in 2012 and did not utter a word. I had seen his struggles. He has gone through so much in this jersey, what any cricketer would never go through,” said the former KKR skipper.
I had seen his emotions, insecurities, his fears, I had seen everything he had gone through- Gautam Gambhir on Sunil Narine
Since 2014, Sunil Narine has had to modify his bowling actions on several occasions. Despite these challenges, he has proven to be an economical bowler. This was evident in the opening fixture against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he finished with figures of 1/19 in his four overs, despite both teams scoring over 200 runs each. He added,
“From being reported, to being banned from playing the Champions League finals to remodeling his actions and coming back to do the same stuff, year after year. I had seen his emotions, insecurities, his fears, I had seen everything he had gone through, I lived that,”
The former KKR skipper concluded by saying,
“I have also seen someone like him being the greatest bowler the IPL has seen. He taught me sacrifices, Sunil Narine,”
It’s evident that Gambhir and the KKR management have shown confidence in Sunil Narine’s abilities by persisting with him and providing opportunities with both bat and ball. However, the desired results are yet to materialize. If Narine can regain his form, Kolkata Knight Riders could become a formidable team in the tournament. KKR’s next match will be against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Both teams will be eager to secure their second win of the season, making it a highly anticipated encounter.
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