IPL 2024, DC vs KKR - The 'GG' Effect, Re-Incarnation Of Sunil Narine, The Batter

Sunil Narine during his destructive knock against DC [iplt20.com]Sunil Narine during his destructive knock against DC [iplt20.com]

Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the most successful teams in the Indian Premier League, with the second-most number of titles in the tournament's history. Incidentally, both titles have come under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. The former Indian international skippered the 'Purple Army' from 2011-2017 and ended his stint as the franchise's most successful captain. 

Gautam Gambhir has often said that a captain is as good as his team. But he is an example of the fact that leadership does matter when it comes to winning tournaments and bringing out the best of the players in his arsenal. 

Under GG's astute leadership, KKR unearthed and harnessed the potential of some hidden gems. His captaincy not only established Yusuf Pathan as a big-match player but also saw Andre Russell ascend to the status of an IPL legend. Sunil Narine, too, flourished under his guidance, showcasing his skills with both the bat and the ball. 


Discovery of Sunil Narine, the opener

Sunil Narine opened for the first time in T20 cricket in the BBL while playing for the Melbourne Renegades. Though he did not score a significant volume of runs, he showed his potential against the hard, new ball with the fielding restrictions in place in some matches. 

This caught the eye of the KKR management, and in that season, Gautam Gambhir decided to opt for Narine as his opener. Thus, it was unleashed a new beast by KKR. KKR did not expect too much from him; they just wanted him to go out and smash the bowlers in the first six overs and provide them with an impetus at the start. 

In that season, Narine scored runs at a strike rate of 172.31 and laid the foundation for many KKR wins. Team management persisted with Narine as the opener for a couple of more seasons, and he kept doing the job for them, though gradually, KKR started to look past him as an opener. 

The Re-Incarnation of Sunil Narine

IPL 2024 has seen the return of Gautam Gambhir to the KKR camp. Although not as a skipper, GG is mentoring the side this time, and the difference can be seen. 

The first thing GG did was reinstate Sunil Narine as the opener. The southpaw fell prey to an unlucky run-out in the first match, but after that, he has taken the skin of a destructor. 

In the last two innings, Narine scored 132 runs at a strike rate of 216.39. In the match against RCB, KKR was chasing a competitive total of 183. Narine's destructive batting helped KKR post 85 runs in the first six overs, and the game got over as a competition there.  


Against Delhi Capitals, Narine once again thrashed the opposition bowlers, and this meant KKR went past the 80 mark once more within the first six overs. They scored 88 runs in the powerplay. This time, Narine's destruction continued past the powerplay, and Delhi Capitals found it challenging to come up with an answer. His super-aggressive batting style laid the foundation for KKR's massive total of 272 runs on the board. Narine was dismissed at a personal score of 85 from 39 deliveries. 

These two innings have ensured that it is the reincarnation of Narine, the batter. His job will be to be as impactful as possible in the first six overs. The message for him is clear - there is no price tag on his wicket, and his only job is to 'smash'. Whatever it is, this proves GG's ability to utilise his resources to the maximum and credibility as a great leader.