The Chronicles of Narine: From stifled to game-breaker
After a 2020 IPL season that lacked spark, Sunil Narine brought his best at just the right time in 2021
Old T20 champions don't die. They just wait for the IPL playoffs for a rebirth.It was MS Dhoni in qualifier 1, and it was the turn of Sunil Narine in the eliminator. Narine was not supposed to be as much of a wicket-taking force as he was in his glory days, before the remodelled action, before the analysts got hold of his videos. Narine, the batter, was supposed to be all sorted out, and Kolkata Knight Riders couldn't even use him as an opener anymore.
Three balls while bowling and three swings of the bat first up cleared all those doubts away.
He fizzed an offbreak that got enough bite from the surface to beat Virat Kohli's slog across the line. He then did AB de Villiers for length as well as turn, a rare enough occurrence by itself. And then he got Glenn Maxwell, who has turned every variety of sweep into a personal library collection this IPL, on that very shot. Three balls that ripped the heart out of Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings. For good measure, Narine had begun by getting KS Bharat, Royal Challengers' hero in the previous match, with a carom ball first up.
When he came out to bat, it was an inspired promotion up to No. 5. First ball, dug halfway into the pitch, and pulled ferociously over deep square leg. Second ball, picked up off his pads and over cow corner. Third ball, hit straight through the line, bottom hand coming off the bat handle even as he made contact. There was a wide in the middle which meant that an equation of 59 from 52 balls had become 40 off 49. Three balls that knocked any control out of Royal Challengers' defence.
Remodeled action lacking bite? Batting no longer a threat? Save that for another day. Narine has found a way to come back.
Old T20 champions don't die. They just wait for the IPL playoffs for a rebirth.It was MS Dhoni in qualifier 1, and it was the turn of Sunil Narine in the eliminator. Narine was not supposed to be as much of a wicket-taking force as he was in his glory days, before the remodelled action, before the analysts got hold of his videos. Narine, the batter, was supposed to be all sorted out, and Kolkata Knight Riders couldn't even use him as an opener anymore.
Three balls while bowling and three swings of the bat first up cleared all those doubts away.
He fizzed an offbreak that got enough bite from the surface to beat Virat Kohli's slog across the line. He then did AB de Villiers for length as well as turn, a rare enough occurrence by itself. And then he got Glenn Maxwell, who has turned every variety of sweep into a personal library collection this IPL, on that very shot. Three balls that ripped the heart out of Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings. For good measure, Narine had begun by getting KS Bharat, Royal Challengers' hero in the previous match, with a carom ball first up.
When he came out to bat, it was an inspired promotion up to No. 5. First ball, dug halfway into the pitch, and pulled ferociously over deep square leg. Second ball, picked up off his pads and over cow corner. Third ball, hit straight through the line, bottom hand coming off the bat handle even as he made contact. There was a wide in the middle which meant that an equation of 59 from 52 balls had become 40 off 49. Three balls that knocked any control out of Royal Challengers' defence.
Remodeled action lacking bite? Batting no longer a threat? Save that for another day. Narine has found a way to come back.
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