Gautam Gambhir tells how he ‘picked’ the WI star for KKR and how he knew Sunil Narine would become a T20 legend

When Sunil Narine made his ODI debut against India back in 2011, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir referred to the West Indian star as maybe the best bowler in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and said he believed the West Indian would eventually become a T20 icon.

After seeing the West Indian during his 2011 debut series, the former captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders and current team coach has said that he made the decision to sign Narine for the Indian Premier League.

In the KKR Knights Dugout Podcast, Gambhir said, “I must have faced seven or eight deliveries and I thought this is the guy who is going to go out there and become the legend of the game, especially in T20 cricket.”

“Look, where is Sunil Narine right now? very likely the best bowler in IPL history,” he said.

Throughout his 168 IPL appearances, Narine has claimed 170 wickets and amassed 1322 runs—including a century—as well as wickets.

In the third One-Day International (ODI) against India in Ahmedabad in December 2011, he made his ODI debut, dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli with figures of 2/34.

But Gambhir had not yet met Narine until the fourth One-Day International in Indore. Despite Narine’s unspectacular record of 0/46 from his six overs, Gambhir was certain that the Trinidadian would be his preferred bowler in the 2012 IPL.

In order to assist KKR win their first IPL title in 2012, Narine emerged as a mystery bowler for the team, taking 24 wickets in 2012—the second-highest total behind Morne Morkel’s 25.

With 21 wickets in total, Narine finished as their second-highest wicket-taker in 2014, the year they won their second championship.

Narine was then given the opportunity to open for KKR after Gambhir saw his batting ability.

He’s been quite effective with the bat this time around and hasn’t let up on the ball either.

Returning to the team as a mentor after serving in a similar capacity with the Lucknow Super Giants for the previous two seasons, Gambhir said that KKR’s motto for the next campaign is “courageous.”

“I really think that the teams who go on to win major tournaments aren’t the most gifted ones. The most valiant squad, one that is prepared to battle to the very end, will emerge victorious in the Indian Premier League. The season’s catchphrase is “we need to be courageous.”

“We have to possess the bravery to be optimistic at all times. and I’m quite optimistic about the kind of talent in our dressing room if you go that route. We will be in a strong position, he said, “if we fight, if we are brave and fight for everyone in the dressing room, fight for every fan who has stuck with us.”

Gambhir also recounted how Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of the franchise, encouraged him in 2014 amid a difficult period, telling him, “You are not going to drop yourself until you’re here.”

It encouraged him to perform well and take home the crown in 2014.

“In four games, I was unable to score even one run. He is, in my opinion—and I’ve stated this many times—the greatest owner I’ve ever worked with. It has nothing to do with the fact that I was or am a member of KKR.

“Aside from the phase that I was going through, I don’t believe so in the seven years that I have captained KKR we have had a cricketing chat, even for seven minutes.

We had the talk at the same moment because I was about to pass out. The only thing he said to me was that you wouldn’t let go of yourself while you were still here.

Imagine an owner who has accomplished so much for himself without even asking you questions on your decision-making process or discussing cricket.

“I’m not claiming that all of my judgments were correct. However, he never questioned my choices; it is a testament to his confidence in me,” he said.