Sunil Philip Narine (born 26 May 1988) is a Trinidadian cricket player who played internationally for the West Indies. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in December 2011 and Test match debut in June 2012. Primarily an off-spin bowler, he is also a left-handed batsman.[1] Narine was a part of the West Indies team that won the 2012 T20 World Cup, where he took the winning wicket of Lasith Malinga in the final. In November 2023, he announced his retirement from international cricket.[2]
Domestic and T20 franchise career
Narine made his debut in first-class cricket for Trinidad and Tobago in February 2009 during the Regional Four Day Competition, bowling thirteen overs without taking a wicket.[3] He did not play another first-class match until nearly a year later,[4] and after going wicketless in the first innings claimed a double scalp in the second, that of tail-ender Lionel Baker.[5]
On 20 January 2011, during the Caribbean Twenty20, Narine played his first Twenty20 (T20) match but did not bowl as the match was rained off before Trinidad and Tobago could bowl.[6] In the end, Trinidad and Tobago won the competition and Narine managed five wickets at an average of 13.40.[7][8] By virtue of winning the competition, Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 held in September and October, in which Narine was one of three bowlers to take ten or more wickets.[9] He made his List A debut on 20 October 2011 in the Regional Super50, claiming figures of one wicket for 35 runs (1/35); his wicket that of opening batsman Miles Bascombe.[10] Trinidad and Tobago won the competition and Narine was the leading wicket-taker in the competition with 15 scalps, five more than the nearest competitor, fellow spin bowler Nikita Miller.[11][12] Narine is the all-time leading wicket taker in Champions League T20 history with 39 scalps.[13] In February 2012, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders at $700,000 to play for them in the 2012 Indian Premier League.[14]
In May 2018, he was named as one of the ten marquee players for the first edition of the Global T20 Canada cricket tournament.[15][16] On 3 June 2018, he was selected to play for the Montreal Tigers in the players' draft for the inaugural edition of the tournament.[17][18]
In 2018 Indian Premier League he became the most valuable player, this was his second MVP award, after his debut season in 2012 IPL.[19]
On 29 March 2024, he became the fourth player overall to play 500 T20 matches, during the 2024 Indian Premier League.[27] He also became the first spinner and the first player from KKR to achieve the feat.[28][29]
In IPL 2024, he won the MVP award for the 3rd time (the most by a single player), as his performance along with the overall team performance lead to KKR's 3rd title.
International career
When the West Indies toured India in November and December 2011 Narine was included in the squad. He made his One Day International debut in the third fixture on 6 December, taking the wickets of Virat Kohli and then Ravichandran Ashwin to help the West Indies to a 16-run victory.[31] Playing in the final two matches (both won by India) Narine took one more wicket while conceding a further 87 runs.[32]
Back in the Caribbean, Narine played three of T&T's six matches in February 2012 in the Regional Four Day Competition, taking 31 wickets at an average of 9.61, and finishing as the team's leading wicket-taker and seventh overall.[4][33] Australia arrived in the West Indies in March, and their tour began with five ODIs. Narine and West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach each finished with eleven wickets and were joined leading wicket takers in the series which was drawn 2–2
.[34][35]
Following an injury to fast bowler Kemar Roach, and the conclusion of the 2012 IPL, Narine was drafted into the West Indies squad for the third and final Test against England in June 2012. At the time he had played just six first-class matches, managing 34 wickets at an average of 11.88.[36] Replacing fellow off spinner Shane Shillingford in the side, Narine made his Test debut on 10 June 2012.[37]
A superb performance by Narine of five wickets for 28 runs on 16 July 2012 helped the West Indies beat New Zealand by 20 runs in their fifth and last ODI and win the current series 4–1 at Basseterre, St. Kitts.[38] Playing only in his second Test he was adjudged the Man of the Match after he picked eight wickets which included his maiden five-wicket haul.[39][40] Narine was left out of the first 2 tests vs New Zealand.
As of 8 March 2014, he topped the ICC Twenty20 rankings of bowlers with 784 points. Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan at second, was way behind in points at 714, while Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka with 674 points completed the top three.[41]
He is the only bowler to have bowled a maiden in a Super Over in a Twenty20 match.[42][43] He was left out of the 2021 ICC T20 CWC squad despite his good performance in IPL 2021, prompting several questions and reactions.[44]
Bowling action
Narine has the reputation of a "mystery bowler", due to the variations that he has on his off breaks, and how he disguises them, but has been reported for a suspect bowling action on a number of occasions.[45] He missed playing in the final of the 2014 Champions League Twenty20 after being suspended for an illegal action with his arm bent by more than 15 degrees and in November 2015 was suspended from bowling in international cricket.[46] His action was reported during the third ODI game against Sri Lanka.[46] In April 2016, he was cleared for bowling in all formats of domestic and international cricket.
Narine's action was again reported during the 2018 Pakistan Super League, but was cleared soon after.[47] In 2020, it was reported yet again, this time during the 2020 Indian Premier League. It was cleared by the IPL Suspect Bowling Action Committee later in the season.[48]
