Narine nails IPL Super Over as Kolkata climb off the bottom

NEW DELHI: Now in his 15th season with Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunil Narine has proved time and again he can be counted on in the clutch and the spin-bowling all-rounder’s sensational Super Over against Lucknow on Sunday showed why the team rate him so highly.

Narine was handed the responsibility of bowling the mini-innings after Lucknow’s Mohammed Shami hit a last-ball six to draw the hosts level in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match.

Narine pegged back the off-stump of fellow Barbadian Nicholas Pooran with his first delivery, conceded a single with the next and had Aiden Markram snared in the deep with the following ball to end the Super Giants’ Super Over.

In reply, Kolkata’s Rinku Singh hit the first ball from Prince Yadav for a four to seal victory. It was just their second win in eight matches and lifted the three-time champions off the bottom and into eighth place in the 10-team league.

“All the coaching staff said, ‘Sunny, you’re going to bowl it,’ and I just said, ‘Okay, that’s no problem’,” Narine, who turns 38 next month, said. “I think you have no other choice - when you’re bowling good and you have the opportunity to do it.

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“It’s always a tough situation but I think it’s a bit easier when you bowl a Super Over first.”

Narine dismissed left-handed Pooran with a gem that pitched on the leg stump, spun past the batter’s across-the-line swipe, and hit the top of off-stump. Narine said the delivery was one of his best.

“It’s up there,” he added, “I think obviously the situation makes it a bit better but in saying that I’m genuinely happy for the team.

“I think we have been struggling, and you need games like this to try to get momentum. I know it’s going to be tough but I think once you try to take it game by game we’ll be in the good end.”