Cleared by International Cricket Council of suspect bowling action West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine would be more dangerous and confident in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
They may be fighting for a place in the Kolkata Knight Riders' team, but senior spinner Brad Hogg revealed that fellow mystery spinner Sunil Narine is now bowling within the ICC's permitted 15 degrees of flexibility. The 45-year old Hogg also warned that Narine is still 'difficult to pick' despite the re-correction in his action. "I remember taking some balls from him (at training) and his action was perfect," Hogg said. "We all know he can do it without the restriction, he can do it legitimately. "Let me tell you I was struggling to pick him up from other end when he was bowling the doosra - I thought it was going the other way," Hogg said. Narine missed out on KKR's victory against Delhi Daredevils on Sunday after flying home to Trinidad due to his father's death. The West Indies spinner has re-joined the squad and will be fighting for the overseas spinner's spot with Hogg, who had claimed match-winning three wickets against the Daredevils.
Sunil Narine turned in a superb show with the ball as the West Indies beat New Zealand by 20 runs in the fifth and final One-day International in Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis) on Monday.
Varun Chakravarthy, a key player for both the Indian team and the Kolkata Knight Riders, emphasizes the importance of consistency and reveals he is working on new variations to his spin bowling.
Iyer lost his eighth toss in 11 games but that did not a have bearing on the team's performance as KKR amassed 235 for six after being put in to bat by Lucknow Super Giants.
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KKR's newly-appointed skipper Ajinkya Rahane seemed visibly irritated by the repeated discussions around Iyer's price tag and said he "deserved that price".
'We will try to put this day behind quickly, good thing we will have a crack at it (qualifier 2).'
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday
Shardul Thakur bowled 8 full tosses, conceded 9 runs and took 2 wickets. It's early days and Thakur's season has seen him enjoy mixed fortunes, His figures of 2 for 52 were lucky breakthroughs but he is a great wicket-taking option.
The ICC has approved Nikita Miller as replacement for Sunil Narine in West Indies' WC squad
'This squad has shown it can go on a run. But it's going to take a lot of determination and belief to do that.'
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
A fine all-round bowling display saw Trinbago Knight Riders win the battle of the unbeaten teams and go to the top of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table. Glenn Phillips was the only standout for the Jamaica Tallawahs as the power-hitters struggled for fluency, and Sunil Narine's second consecutive 50 did the bulk of the work even as the Knight Riders took their time about the chase.
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Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel would like to quickly forget the underwhelming performances of his side in home conditions and get their stuttering campaign back on track when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are teetering on the edge of elimination, in the IPL match in Hyderabad on Monday.
Other than the batters, some excellent catching from both teams was the highlight at the hallowed Eden Gardens.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will expect a lot more from their top-order as they aim to get their campaign back on track against a power-packed Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL match in Chennai on Monday.
KKR trumped SRH in the league stage matches and it will give them an edge going into Sunday's summit clash, Matthew Hayden and Kevin Pietersen.
Images from the IPL 2024 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Abhishek stole the show with his belligerent knocks for runners up SRH, while Fraser-McGurk emerged a surprise batting hero for DC and Rana was one of KKR's best bowlers.
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The key to Kolkata Knight Riders success this season lies in their players' newfound ability to support each other through highs and lows, something that was "missing" over the past two years, feels the team's vice-captain Nitish Rana.
Wanindu Hasaranga's wicket celebrations is inspired by his favourite footballer -- Neymar of Brazil and PSG.
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will seek home comfort in their bid to return to winning ways when they face a depleted Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League match in Kolkata on Sunday.
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Glimpses off the field when the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders met at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi, September 23, 2021.
Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nayar hailed skipper Shreyas Iyer for his mental strength and positive approach to life.
Coach Trevor Bayliss claimed that Kolkata Knight Riders have made a smooth transition from Sunil Narine to Brad Hogg but added that his side still want the West Indian mystery spinner back as soon as possible, in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
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The KKR think-tank might not be unduly worried as their campaign is still at a nascent stage, but they would like to see the first-choice pacer and spinner finding their range at the earliest.
The Indian Premier League IPL) throws up surprises every season, with underdogs rising to challenge established powerhouses, new players emerging as key contributors, or teams overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Every match days, the record books are rewritten as players consistently strive to push their personal bests and achieve new heights.
While Kohli's experience is invaluable, Agarkar believes that there are enough power-hitters in the line-up if there are high-scoring games.
Shah Rukh Khan joined the jubilant KKR players and support staff on the field, high-fiving them and sharing emotional embraces after their thrilling win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While a few catches were put down by both teams, there were some that stuck.
With five consecutive defeats, bottom-placed RCB have the daunting task of winning their remaining seven games to keep their play-off prospects alive.
Buttler (107 not out off 60 balls) fought his way through a slow start and rapidly rising asking rate to be there till the end for Rajasthan Royals
