Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine is a Trinidadian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the best spin bowlers in the world. He is also known for his explosive batting and brilliant fielding skills. Narine has made a name for himself in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well, where he plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise. In this article, we will take a closer look at Sunil Narine's career and his IPL journey with the KKR team.

Early Career

Sunil Narine was born on May 26, 1988, in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago. He started playing cricket at a young age and made his debut for the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team in 2009. He quickly rose through the ranks and made his international debut for the West Indies in December 2011. He was immediately hailed as a talented spinner and was included in the West Indies squad for the 2012 T20 World Cup.

IPL Career

Sunil Narine made his IPL debut in 2012 when he was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for $700,000. He made an immediate impact, taking 24 wickets in 15 matches and helping KKR win the IPL title that year. Narine's success in the IPL was largely due to his unique bowling style, which involved bowling a combination of off-spin and mystery spin.

In the 2013 IPL season, Narine was even more successful, taking 22 wickets in just 16 matches and helping KKR win their second IPL title. He was named the Player of the Tournament and was also awarded the Purple Cap for taking the most wickets in the tournament. Narine's success continued in the 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons, where he took 21 and 24 wickets respectively.

However, Narine's career hit a roadblock in 2015 when he was reported for a suspect bowling action. He was subsequently banned from bowling in international cricket and the IPL. Narine worked hard to remodel his action and was eventually cleared to bowl again in 2016. He returned to the IPL that year and was once again a key player for KKR, taking 11 wickets in 9 matches.

Narine's success in the IPL continued in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, where he took 10 and 17 wickets respectively. He also played a key role in KKR's run to the playoffs in the 2018 season, where he took 2 wickets in the Qualifier 2 match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In the 2019 IPL season, Narine played in 12 matches for KKR, taking 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.68. He was also a useful lower-order batsman, scoring 143 runs at a strike rate of 168.23. Narine's form dipped in the 2020 IPL season, where he took just 5 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 8.09.

Narine did not play in the first few matches of the 2021 IPL season, but he made a strong comeback in the latter half of the tournament. He took 5 wickets in 7 matches at an economy rate of 6.93 and also played a few handy innings with the bat.

Playing Style

Sunil Narine is primarily a spin bowler who bowls a combination of off-spin and mystery spin. His bowling action is unique, and he releases the ball with a flick of his wrist, which makes it difficult for batsmen to read his deliveries. Narine's main weapon is his accuracy, and he is able to bowl dot balls consistently, which puts pressure on the bats.