New Delhi: Sunil Narine, who has risen from the ranks of a mystery spinner to a havoc-wreaking batter, will feature for another season for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Ahead of their tournament opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Narine has hinted that he wants to continue as an opening batter for the defending champions.
Narine was promoted up the batting order under the mentorship regime of Gautam Gambhir and found huge success. Last season, he amassed 488 runs at a strike rate of 180, a result of him sweating out in the batting nets. Before 2024, Narine was demoted to a floater’s role, which led to a dip in his batting skillset, but under Gambhir, he formed a stormy opening partnership with Phil Salt and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
He spoke to the media on Wednesday, ahead of KKR’s opening game on March 22, saying that while his batting position depends upon the needs of the team, he would very much love to reprise the opening role. “It depends on the team’s needs. Obviously, I’d love to open after how things went last year, but it will be based on the team’s requirements,” Narine said during KKR’s pre-season presser.
Love affair with KKR
Ever since debuting in the IPL in 2012, Narine has been a part of the Kolkata-based franchise. Being one of the most experienced players in the IPL, Narine looked back on his journey with KKR, saying that the franchise is like a family to him and Kolkata is the place where he feels he belongs.
“Starting off, franchise cricket felt like just another tournament. But as time went along, you developed a relationship, and it became like a family. This is going to be my 14th year in the IPL. I’ve played with them outside of IPL as well. It’s like a family-based team for me. Every time I play with the Knight Riders logo, it feels like this is where I belong,” said Narine.
Sunil Narine has been opening for Kolkata Knight Riders since a couple of years and ahead of the 18th season of the IPL, has expressed desire to continue batting at the same spot. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
