IPL 2024: Sunil Narine, KKR’s MVP, repays Gambhir’s faith

How many could have predicted before the start of the IPL that Sunil Narine, nearing his 36th birthday, would be named Most Valuable Player after playing a leading role for Kolkata Knight Riders in their title-clinching campaign?

The West Indies allrounder had not crossed 150 runs in any IPL season since 2018, and last year had managed a total of 21 runs with a best of seven not out. But as soon as former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir was roped in as mentor for the 2024 season, one of the first things he did was convince Narine to go back up the order as an opener, A fact that Narine credited at several junctures across IPL 2024.

Given the license to hit out and the assurance that he would not be dropped from the opener’s role even if he failed, Narine finished the season with 488 runs from 14 innings, at an average of just under 35, while striking at 180.74 and hitting 33 sixes. Along the way, Narine also scored his first century in T20 cricket and alongside Englishman Phil Salt, he formed one half of the second most destructive opening pair of the tournament after SRH’s Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.

To go with his jaw-dropping batting exploits, Narine was also a steady supply of wickets for his KKR captain Shreyas Iyer. Narine took 17 wickets at an average of 21.64 apiece and had an exceptional economy rate of 6.69 in a season during which run-scoring went to a level not seen in 17 seasons.

These statistics underline the fact that no allrounder has put in a greater performance in a single edition of the IPL. Such a dominant all-round performance from the veteran West Indian helped KKR to their first IPL title in a decade, and it was fitting that Narine was named MVP of the season, that too on the day he turned 36.

“Coming into the ground today, it felt like 2012. The feeling is overwhelming and I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift,” said Narine when accepting the award after the IPL final in Chennai on Sunday. “I am enjoying my cricket at the moment – batting, bowling and fielding. What helps is when the team is winning. We have a great bunch of guys who put out a lot of work throughout the season. The fight they gave throughout the season was very good and it shows how good a team we are.”

Key to Narine’s success as a specialist opener, as opposed to a pinch-hitter, was being given the license to just be himself up top. 

“Getting the role to just go there and express myself, trying to get the team off to a flier, that’s key,” he said. “The backing of the support staff, especially GG [Gambhir] just saying – ‘go there and enjoy it, just try to win a few games for the team. I am not asking you to do the entire season, but just a few games’. 

“That was very good advice. Salty played an incredible season. We missed him but [Rahmanullah] Gurbaz came in and filled that role. Once you have an opening partner with the same intent, it’s good for the team and you always get a good start for the team as well.”  

Another huge factor in KKR’s run to the IPL 2024 total was their bowling. Unlike any other team this season, KKR had five bowlers with 15-plus wickets. Right at the top was Narine’s fellow mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy with 21 at 19.14 each, while conceding runs at 8.04 per over. 

“He is a world-class bowler, he puts in the work. Whatever happens on the field, it’s what he does off the field,” said Narine of his spin partner Chakvarathy. “The whole bowling line-up, we always pick early wickets, so we come to bowl under less pressure. As a total bowling unit, picking up wickets is key and it helped us win the title.”

Narine has played all of his IPL cricket with KKR since he joined them in 2012, and his success this year most certainly means that he will be the first retained player by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction.