Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling all-rounder Sunil Narine has emerged as one of the most in-form players in the Indian Premier League. His promotion as an opener has seen him ride high on the list of top-scorers in the league while his wicket-taking abilities in the middle-overs already had opponent teams under pressure. Narine’s all-round form saw calls for his return to international cricket, especially for the upcoming T20 World Cup, intensify. But the West Indian has put the talks to bed, saying “that door is now closed”.
In a statement on social media, Narine ruled out his return to West Indies for the T20 World Cup, saying those who have consistently played for the national team deserve to be picked over him.
“I hope this message finds you all well and in good health. I’m truly flattered and humbled that my performances recently have moved many people to publicly express their wish for me to come out of retirement and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup,” Narine said.
“I have made peace with that decision and whilst I never wish to disappoint, that door is now closed and I will be supporting the guys who take the field in June for West Indies. Guys who have worked hard for the past few months and deserve to show our wonderful fans that they are capable of winning another title – I wish you all the best,” Narine he added.
In 169 IPL matches, Narine has taken 172 wickets at an average of 25.59 and a strike rate of 22.75, with the best figures of 5/19. Surpassing Malinga, who has 170 wickets in 122 balls, Narine has become the sixth-highest wicket-taking bowler in IPL history. Narine hold the IPL record of taking the most wickets for a single franchise.
Jasprit Bumrah (158 scalps for Mumbai Indians), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (150 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Dwayne Bravo (140 wickets for Chennai Super Kings) are also a part of this list.
Under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir, the franchise’s former skipper who also won the 2012 and 2014 IPL titles, Narine is having a major IPL comeback this year. In seven matches, he has scored 286 runs at an average of 40.85 and a strike rate of over 176, with a century and a fifty. He is the fifth-highest run-getter this season. He has also taken nine wickets with the best figures of 2/30.
