Where did Kolkata Knight Riders’ fortunes change? One can bring up a lot of points on how KKR moved from the 7th spot the previous season to winning the IPL this time. However, one of the main reasons would be the reinvention of Sunil Narine. Gambhir, who was the lead motivator behind Narine’s reascent, opened up on the relationship he shares with the all-rounder, terming his bonding with the West Indian like a ‘brother’.
Narine’s first words to Gambhir: Can I bring my girlfriend?
“Me and Narine are similar characters, and so are our emotions. I still remember that when Narine first came into the IPL in 2012, it was in Jaipur, and we were going for practice, and I told him to come join for lunch. Narine was so shy that he did not say a single word during lunch, and the first question that he eventually asked was, ‘Can I bring my girlfriend to the IPL?,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda.
“He was so quiet that first season, but now, we can talk about anything. He is like a brother to me. I don’t see him as a friend, I don’t see him as a teammate, I see him as a brother. If I need him or he needs me, I think we are just one call away, that is the sort of relationship that we have built. We do not get excited much, we do not show too many emotions, we are not flamboyant, we just do the job and come back,” he added.
Narine’s form hands KKR 3rd IPL trophy
Narine was in blistering form in the recently-concluded IPL. The all-rounder was promoted to the opening slot on the insistence of KKR’s new mentor Gambhir. Narine shone in the role along with Phil Salt. He scored 488 runs in 14 matches in the season, striking the ball at over 180. Moreover, he was as miserly as ever while bowling, taking 17 wickets at an economy rate of under 7 runs.
