Guess which all-rounder in this IPL has scored more runs than Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma and has taken more wickets than Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Rashid Khan? The Answer is the man named after the legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar. It is the West Indian spinner-cum-opener Sunil Narine. He has strengthened the Kolkatan team in both the departments that are batting and bowling.

Scoring only 47 runs in the 11 innings he had batted before in the IPL, Sunil Narine came into his true colors in the last season of the IPL. Once Kolkata Knight Riders sent him to open the innings, he became this champion batsman who smashing every bowler that came his way. In the 2017 IPL Season, Narine managed to score 224 runs at a low average but at a strike rate of 172. He smacked 10 sixes in the season and was the leading scorer in the record-breaking fastest opening partnership.

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This season though, Kolkata has been hesitant to send Narine at the top every time and we have seen him bat at number four and even below also. However, in the last match against KXIP, he justified his opening place with a furious 75 which is now his highest IPL score.

With his greatest bowling performances behind him, Narine has managed to stay super-effective in the game with his dual skills. This season, he has taken 14 wickets at an economy of 7.82 which is his worst so far in the IPL career. Yet, on the basis of his batting alone, he is easing the pressure on KKR batting.

Bowlers tried finding his weakness and resorted to bowling short at him. Speaking of the strategy, Narine answered,” When the bowlers bowl short, I just try to stay as still as possible and make contact. Get as close to the ball as I can and go after it, because the ground was small to hit a six that you have to be still. It was a flat wicket. When the spinners were bowling, I just tried to back myself.” Sunil Narine was quoted as saying the above in the post-match presentation of the match where he also grabbed the Player of the Match award.

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“If I bowl bad, it gives me a chance to do well with the bat and vice versa. I am happy I can contribute somewhere in every game,” he added. The mystery spinner is now spinning mystery around his batting too. How long will it take for the bowlers to decipher remains to be seen.