Sunil Narine: The Proper Dutchman

Q: How did Sunil Narine get his name?

Narine’s father Shaheed was fond of Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and named his son after him.

West Indian right-arm spin bowler Sunil Narine has by now become a household name in India due to his long-term association with the Indian T20 League. In fact, the 33-year-old is seen more in the domestic circuit than at the international level, gradually becoming a well-loved cricketer among fans worldwide. Memories of his 4/21 spell against the Bangalore team in Sharjah last October still remain fresh in the memories of fans. That performance was good enough to take the Kolkata team to the final of the tournament.

Narine is known for his distinct bowling style that causes problems for batters around the world. The term â€œmystery spinnerâ€ has taken a new dimension at the hands of the Trinidad-born spinner. Narine burst into the Indian T20 League scene back in 2012 when he was signed by the Kolkata team ahead of the new season. Hardly anyone had any idea about who he was and what he would be bringing to the plate.

Over the next couple of months or so, world cricket got to know what Narine was all about. He finished the season with 24 wickets from 15 matches, in the process helping the side win their first T20 League trophy by beating the Chennai team. His 5/19 against the Punjab team that season remains one of the best bowling figures in franchise cricket till date.

The 2012 season wasnâ€™t a one-off though, as Narine continued to give the Kolkata fans a lot to cheer about over the years. Even today the 33-year-old remains one of their prized assets, one that they hardly wish to part ways with. Narine remains one of the few players to have represented mainly one team over the course of their Indian T20 League career. A lot of the credit has to go to the way Narine contributes toward the team. He is a real impact player and therefore, it comes as a surprise that he hasnâ€™t played more games for the West Indies cricket team.

Narine wasnâ€™t picked for the International T20 World Cup by the West Indies team last year in spite of his heroics at the domestic level. The board revealed later that the player had failed to match the fitness standards set up by them. The decision came as a surprise for many given that the spinner had done so well only recently.

Narineâ€™s career has been on a consistent growth curve with batting prowess being added to it. He has opened the innings on a number of occasions for the Kolkata team and contributed with runs.

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Sunil Narineâ€™s Personal Details

- Name
- :
- Sunil Philip Narine
- Date of Birth
- :
- 26th May 1988
- Birthplace
- :
- Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
- Height
- :
- 5â€²10â€³
- Bowling Style
- :
- Right-arm medium
- Playing Role
- :
- Bowler
- Current Team
- :
- West Indies, Kolkata team
- Jersey Number
- :
- 74

Sunil Narineâ€™s Current Rankings

T20 --
ODI --
Test --

Sunil Narine Stats

- Format
- M
- Inn
- Wickets
- Best Bowling
- Avg
- SR
- Test
- 6
- 11
- 21
- 6/91 vs. NZ
- 40.52
- 78.57
- ODI
- 65
- 65
- 92
- 6/27 vs. SA
- 26.47
- 38.48
- T20l
- 51
- 49
- 52
- 4/12 vs. NZ
- 21.25
- 21.19

Sunil Narine - Key Skills and Strengths

Narineâ€™s key strength in bowling is his carrom ball. He has carried forward the trend set up by the likes of Ajantha Mendis. The West Indianâ€™s bowling style is difficult to read, forcing batters to make mistakes. He has earned the reputation of being the Indian T20 Leagueâ€™s mystery man. His hand movements, seam and knuckle balls are often unreadable.

He is considered to be an expert in the shortest format of the game where his economical bowling earns more credence than his wicket-taking skills. Narine has also improved his batting skills with time and has even opened the batting for the Kolkata team. Narine has been instrumental in helping the side win 2 Indian T20 League titles, in 2012 and 2014.

Sunil Narineâ€™s Awards and Achievements

Narine first caught the attention of cricket fans when he picked up all 10 wickets in a trial match. He was immediately called up to the Trinidad and Tobago team in 2009. The 33-year-old has got limited opportunities in international cricket though. However, he has shown everyone what he is made of whenever he has been on the pitch in the West Indian color.

Here are some of Narineâ€™s achievements as an international cricketer:

Narine topped the ICC bowlerâ€™s ranking in T20I in 2014.
Narine helped the West Indies national team win the T20 World Cup in 2012.

Sunil Narineâ€™s Indian T20 League Journey

Sunil Narine has been an integral part of the Indian T20 League ever since bursting into the scene in 2012. The Kolkata team, who had been monitoring Narineâ€™s performance at the domestic level in the West Indies, bought him at the auction before the 2012 season. He helped the side win the much-coveted trophy the same year, finishing the season with 24 wickets, just one short of the eventual Purple Cap winner Morne Morkel. He has also emerged as a big hitter and has taken his team out of many precarious situations with his batting.

Here are some of Narineâ€™s biggest achievements in the Indian T20 League:

Narine hit his fastest half century in 2017 when he hit 6 fours and 4 sixes to reach his fifty in just 15 deliveries.
Narine has won the tournamentâ€™s Most Valuable Player title twice over the course of his career.
Narine created a new Indian T20 League record when he became the first spinner in the history of the tournament to take 3 four-wicket hauls against a single franchise, the Bangalore team.