April 16th marks a memorable yet somewhat bittersweet date for cricket fans, especially for those following the journey of Sunil Narine in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This day witnessed a remarkable performance by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stalwart as he smashed his maiden T20 century, making his 503rd T20 appearance, and his 168th IPL appearance, against the Rajasthan Royals at the iconic Eden Gardens. Strikingly, it was 11 years ago on the same date that Narine had showcased his brilliance by taking a stellar hat-trick against the Kings XI Punjab. However, fate seemed to play a recurring theme as, despite his stellar efforts, both instances ended in defeat for Narine and his team.
Narine’s presence has been nothing short of pivotal for the KKR since his debut in 2012. His staggering strike rate of 164.84 places him second only to the explosive Andre Russell (175.55) among players who have amassed over 125 runs for the Kolkata franchise. Moreover, Narine has etched his name in IPL history books by claiming 170 wickets at an economy rate of 6.74, playing a significant role in KKR clinching the IPL trophy twice. With two Most Valuable Player/Player of the Tournament awards to his name, Narine has undeniably solidified his status as a KKR legend and one of the IPL’s finest.
In the current edition of IPL 2024, Narine’s resurgence in his role as an opener evokes a sense of nostalgia yet comes with its own unique flavor. Currently standing third in the Orange Cap standings with 276 runs at an astounding strike rate of 187.75, Narine has also emerged as the leading wicket-taker for KKR, scalping seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.87, the fourth-best in the tournament this season. Indeed, Sunil Narine is enjoying a stellar form this season, proving his mettle with both bat and ball.
Despite the setback faced against Jos Buttler and the Rajasthan Royals, Narine exhibited his lethal prowess with both bat and ball, even amidst battling calf cramps during the intense encounter. A significant catalyst behind Narine’s resurgence with the bat has been the return of Gautam Gambhir to KKR, this time in the role of a mentor. Gambhir’s decision to reinstate Narine as the opener, drawing from his experience both as a former skipper and now as a mentor, has been instrumental in Narine’s recent success.
In an interview during the innings break, Narine acknowledged Gambhir’s role, stating, “When GG (Gambhir) came back, he gave me the confidence and assurance that I’ll open. My job is to give the team a good start in as many of the 14 innings as possible and then keep going.” Under Gambhir’s captaincy, Narine began opening from the 2017 season onwards, experiencing notable success in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. However, his role underwent a shift during the 2019 season, where he was relegated to the lower middle order midway through the tournament. Despite sporadic openings in the 2020 edition, Narine found himself demoted once again due to inconsistent performances, opening only thrice until this season.
Though not overtly resentful, Sunil Narine expressed his dissatisfaction with batting at the lower order. As a senior player, he had even proposed to the previous KKR management the idea of opening the batting, which unfortunately was not entertained. As a mentor, Gambhir has decided to play his trump card once more, reinstating Narine as the opener for IPL 2024, a move that seems to have reignited Narine’s spark and enthusiasm for the game.
