OTD| Former Caribbean off-spinner and IPL legend Sunil Narine was born in 1988

Former West Indies spinner Sunil Narine is celebrating his 36th birthday on 26 May 2024. Having played 51 T20I matches for the Windies and been a globetrotter in franchise T20 leagues across the world, Narine is one of the greatest cricketers to have graced the shorter format of the game. With a spiky hairstyle, the Trinidad and Tobago cricketer entered the cricket scene as a lethal spinner and later evolved into a dangerous opening batter.

Narine made his debut in first-class cricket for Trinidad and Tobago in February 2009 following his excellence in a trial match, taking all ten wickets. He played his maiden T20 match during the Caribbean T20 in 2011 and picked up five wickets at an average of 13.40. The right-arm off-spinner came under scanner for his bowling action and was advised by the University of Western Australia in Perth to change it.

However, it was not a setback for Narine as he took ten wickets at an average of 10.50 and an economy rate of 4.37 in the 2011 Champions League. Notably, he is the all-time leading wicket-taker in Champions League T20 history, with 39 scalps. Narine made his ODI debut against India in the same year and played a crucial role in West Indies winning the third match of the series.

Narine has remained a vital asset for KKR since his IPL debut

Narine’s impressive performances in limited-overs cricket attracted Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the golden deal in the 2012 IPL auction. The mystery spinner finished the tournament with a total of 24 wickets and won the Player of the Series after helping KKR win their maiden title.

Narine racked up 22 wickets in the 2013 season and 21 wickets in the following season, helping KKR win their second IPL title. The Caribbean cricketer has been a vital asset for KKR since his maiden season and they haven’t let go of him even after 17 editions. In 2017 under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir, KKR also found a pinch-hitter in Narine.

He opened for the first time for KKR and amassed 224 runs at a healthy strike rate of 172.31. He bettered his batting stats in 2018, where he scored 357 runs at a staggering strike rate of 189.89, including two quick-fire half-centuries. Notably, his contributions in the batting department were matched by his contributions in the bowling department.

Fast forward to 2024, Narine is back in the opener’s role for KKR in the 17th IPL edition and has had a tremendous season so far. On his birthday, KKR are all set to play the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai. The southpaw has been one of the dangerous openers this season, scoring 482 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 179.85, including a century. 

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