Confirmed:West Indies Calls Sunil Narine Out Of Retirement As…
Star all-rounder Sunil Narine’s sizzling form in the IPL has made him a prime prospect for the T20 World Cup in June, with West Indies captain Rovman Powell revealing he has been trying to coax Narine to come out of retirement and play in the showpiece event in the Caribbean and US.
The spin bowling all-rounder then became a full-time franchise cricketer, but his effectiveness seemed to be diminishing over the last few seasons. This year, however, Narine has turned into a T20 force to be reckoned with.
On Tuesday, Narine smashed 109 off 56 balls and claimed 2-30, including the wicket of Powell, for the Kolkata Knight Riders. And while his efforts were not enough as Jos Buttler steered Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase of 224 with an unbeaten hundred, Narine emerged as the standout performer
Narine, 35, had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2023, four years after playing his last match for the West Indies.
After the match, Powell said Narine has been on the radar of West Indies management for some time.
“For the last 12 months, I’ve been whispering in his ears, but he’s blocked out everyone,” Powell said about trying to convince Narine to reverse his decision to retire. “I have asked [Kieron] Pollard, [Dwayne] Bravo, [Nicholas] Pooran. Hopefully, before they select the team, they can crack his code.”
Narine was cryptic in his response when asked if he would come out of retirement to play in the World Cup, especially since a big portion of the tournament will be held in the Caribbean.
Narine has been giving Kolkata blazing starts at the top of the order this season, treating pacers and spinners with equal disdain. However, it is his bowling that has stood out even in high-scoring matches.
Narine has started to bowl his full quota of overs every match, even though the Knight Riders have more than enough bowling options. In two matches this season, Narine bowled four overs without conceding a single boundary – against Lucknow and Hyderabad.
After six matches, Narine has seven wickets at an economy of less than seven an over, and nearly 300 runs at a strike rate of over 180. If he does come out of retirement, Narine is likely to be the first name in the playing XI for the West Indies at the showpiece event.