Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine was picked by the KKR management for his mystery spin bowling before the IPL 2012 and seasons after seasons he has raised the bar and reached the heights of success to such a level that Sunil Narine is the heart and soul of the team. 

Bowling knuckleballs, faster off-spinning balls, and carrom balls, Sunil Narine has all the arsenal up to his sleeve what an off-spinner’s dream of and he has also used all of that to an excellent effect for KKR. Started as a mystery spinner hailing from the Caribbean Islands, Narine first came into the limelight during the Caribbean T20 in 2011. 

However, post-tournament, the spinner’s bowling action came under the scanner which prompted him to change it. Narine’s improved action made a tough bowler in the Champions League of 2011 that led his way to the IPL, ahead of the fifth edition. 

The Trinidad-born lit the tournament on fire with 24 wickets in IPL 2012, to help KKR clinch their maiden title. The following season, the spinner bagged 22 wickets and in IPL 2014, his 21 wickets helped the franchise grab another IPL trophy. 

Over the years, Narine has developed his batting and modelled his power-hitting technique to earn an opener slot in the IPL. He, along with Chris Lynn, provided berserk starts to KKR in the 2017 edition making him possibly the MVP in the KKR squad. 

Narine has been instrumental in whatever success KKR as a team have had in the seasons since the 2012 edition. KKR relied on Narine to deliver the goods and take wickets at crucial junctures of the game as well as choking runs from one end, at the death.

The Trinidadian missed the 2016 edition of World T20 due to suspect action. However, the spinner wears a star, whenever he dons West Indies’ colours, as the nine wickets in the 2012 T20 World Cup helped his national clinch the coveted trophy. 

Throughout his career, the franchise cricket wayfarer has been a vital cog in all the teams, which the spinner has represented across the globe. In 2021, the Kolkata-based franchise retained the Trinidad-born for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. 

Later that season, the Oval Invincibles drafted the mystery spinner into the squad for the inaugural season of the Hundred. The tweaker would be willing to shine brightly, in both franchise leagues, and then don the West Indies jersey during the World T20 of 2021. 

(As of April 2021)