Sunil Narine Credits Former India Cricketer For Promotion During IPL 2017: 'No Team Took Me Seriously'

Gautam Gambhir’s role in KKR’s resurgence can’t be underestimated. It was he who rung in the changes in the squad, bringing in the likes of Rajat Bhatia, Sunil Narine in the playing eleven. It made their attack even more potent as KKR now had some effective slow-ball bowlers who could help them defend average totals on slow wickets. It was a revolution as KKR went on to reach the eliminator (top four in 2011) and sealed the final, beating CSK a year later. Two years later, they went on to win the trophy once again.

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Moreover, it was in 2017, Gambhir had made another radical change, promoting Narine at the top of the order and he delivered scoring 224 runs from 16 matches, including a 15-ball half-century against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“Gautam Gambhir asked me to open. He wanted me to get the team off to a fast start, it didn’t matter if I lost my wicket early. Nobody could plan too much for me as I was still new to the role, opposition didn’t take me that seriously, and I went from strength to strength. The more I performed well, the more confidence KKR had in me and gave me that encouragement," Narine told ESPNCricinfo.

But this wasn’t the first time Narine had opened for any franchise. In fact, he had earlier opened for Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades as well. That was 2016-17 season.

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“In the early days of IPL and in the West Indies, it was known that I could bat a bit, but with the passing of my dad – he had always wanted me to show the world I could bat, so I gave myself 18 months to work on my batting, practicing more," Narine added.

“Aaron Finch was captain at Melbourne Renegades. We were playing Melbourne Stars, and we knew they would use Michael Beer as a left-arm orthodox spinner in the powerplay. My goal was to target him. I had been batting well in the nets and I was asked to open. It so happened in the end all the boundaries I hit in that game came off fast bowling (laughs) and not off the spinners, so I didn’t really do the job expected of me, but that’s where it all started as an opener."

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