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Sunil Narine
Fresh from his exploits in India's triumphant Champions Trophy campaign, Varun Chakravarthy will be a key component of Kolkata Knight Riders' spin attack with his element of "uncertainty" in the upcoming IPL, veteran Sunil Narine said on Wednesday. The West Indian spin-bowling all-rounder, heading into his 14th IPL season with KKR, believes Chakravarthy's ability to keep batsmen guessing would be key to their bowling unit's success. "Over the years, we have proven it. We bowl well in tandem. It's always good to have him on my side. He keeps that pressure, that uncertainty -- something you're never sure about," Narine said in a select media interaction while launching 'PariMatch' here. Chakravarthy, who picked up nine wickets in three matches in the Champions Trophy, has been a mainstay in KKR's lineup since 2020. After an impressive first season with 17 wickets, he earned his maiden India call-up, though fitness issues delayed his international debut until 2021. Retained by KKR in
Sunil Narine may have made up his mind not to come out of retirement but his compatriot Andre Russell believes he's the "missing puzzle" in the West Indies line-up and reversing his decision one last time would make the whole nation happy. The 35-year-old Narine, who quit International cricket in 2023 and played his last T20I for West Indies way back in 2019, has taken the IPL by storm both with the bat and ball. "I'm so happy for Sunil to be honest. I think getting close to 500 runs is no joke, being a premier bowler that is going to look to bowl four overs and has 16 wickets under his belt in this season as well, that just goes to show the true all-roundership in him," Russell said on Star Sports Cricket Live. The lefthander has scored 482 runs, giving Kolkata Knight Riders flying starts in the power-play and also taken 16 wickets with a tidy economy rate of 6.90 to play a key role in their final appearance. The two-time champions defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first IPL ...