Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Sunil Narine began his career as a mystery spinner, bowling economical overs and batting in the lower order. However, in 2017, KKR’s former captain Gautam Gambhir made a bold move by promoting Narine to open the batting.
While Narine had the ability to hit big, he struggled to make an impact lower down the order. Recognizing his potential, Gambhir took a risk by letting Narine open. The decision paid off, with Narine amassing 224 runs in 16 matches during IPL 2017, boasting a strike rate of over 170.
Notably, Narine hit a blistering 54 off 17 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, partnering with Chris Lynn for a 105-run opening stand in just six overs. Speaking about his transition to an opener, Narine shared the details in a conversation with Cricket Monthly.
“Gautam Gambhir asked me to open. He wanted me to get the team off to a fast start, it didn’t matter if I lost my wicket early. Nobody could plan too much for me as I was still new to the role, opposition didn’t take me that seriously, and I went from strength to strength.”
Gautam Gambhir reinstated Sunil Narine as an opener in IPL 2024
After Gautam Gambhir’s departure, Kolkata Knight Riders continued to use Sunil Narine as an opener, but the Caribbean all-rounder became inconsistent, leading to a change in his batting position.
In IPL 2023, Narine scored just 21 runs at a strike rate of 84 while mainly batting in the lower middle order. Gambhir returned as KKR’s mentor in IPL 2024 and promoted Narine to the top order, where he scored 488 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 180.74.
With Gambhir now serving as India’s head coach, it will be interesting to see if Narine can maintain his form in IPL 2025.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.