Windies skipper 'whispering in Narine's ears' ahead of World Cup

On the heels of Sunil Narine's stunning century for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Rajasthan Royals in their top-of-the-table Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, West Indies Twenty/20 international (T20I) skipper Rovman Powell has expressed the desire for the allrounder's return to the regional team.

Narine, who has been entrusted with opening the batting in the ongoing IPL season, scored a brilliant 109 off 56 balls as he notched his maiden century in the T20 format. The 35-year-old Narine hit 13 fours and six sixes in his innings as he pushed KKR to a competitive score of 223 for six. Narine got to his century in the 16th over of the KKR innings when he drilled leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for two fours and two sixes to get to the landmark off 49 balls. In the process, the left-hander became the third KKR player to score an IPL century, following in the footsteps of Brendon McCullum and Venkatesh Iyer.

Narine's century wasn't enough to get the KKR team over the line, though, as Rajasthan's Jos Buttler equalled his effort with a sublime 107 not out of 60 balls to see the league-leaders home off the very last ball of the contest with two wickets to spare. Narine grabbed figures of two for 30 as he tried to restrict Rajasthan's big-hitting, accounting for the big scalp of Powell (26 off 13 balls) in the process.

Powell struck Narine for two sixes and a four in the 17th over of Rajasthan's chase, before he eventually fell to the wily off-spinner in the same over.

After the game, the West Indies skipper opened up on the attempts he has made to welcome Narine back into the Caribbean team's T20I setup ahead of the June 1-29, 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the West Indies. Though he played his last T20I for the Windies in August 2019, Narine only confirmed his retirement from the international game last November.

"For the last 12 months, I've been whispering in Narine's ears, but he's blocked out everyone," Powell said, in an ESPN Cricinfo article.

"I've asked Kieron Pollard, (Dwayne) Bravo and Nicholas Pooran. Hopefully, before they select the team, they can crack his code."

After KKR's IPL win against the Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, Narine was asked about the possibility of returning to the West Indies team by IPL commentator and former WI teammate Samuel Badree.

At the time, Narine said, "I will be watching from home, Badree."

After blazing the ball to all parts on Tuesday, though, Narine appeared to soften his position when he was asked about the likelihood of reversing his retirement decision.

Narine said, "It is what it is, but we'll have to see what the future holds."

The 2012 T20 World Cup winner has been in sparkling form with the bat for KKR this season, and his ton took him up to 276 runs through six innings and up to third on the 2024 IPL run-scorers chart. Prior to his century, Narine cracked his previous T20 high score of 85 versus Delhi Capitals on April 2, while he also scored 47 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 28.

The spinner has also taken seven wickets so far this season.

During a Cricket West Indies (CWI) media briefing last Monday, Windies white-ball coach Daren Sammy said, "I'm probably quite sure as to what my World Cup team will be. It's based on the measures that we have taken and the strategic roles we have given players."

Speaking to Newsday on Tuesday, former WI pacer Tony Gray said Narine would be a welcomed addition to the regional team for the T20 World Cup. However, Gray said the KKR and Trinbago Knight Riders star must not be forced into the decision.

"Daren Sammy, being the captain of those two T20 World Cup teams, there's a template of success that he's trying to recapture," Gray said.

"If guys don't want to come out of retirement, you leave them alone and concentrate on the talent you have, although Sunil is still playing fantastic cricket in the IPL and other franchises. Based on what we saw today, you have to have that internal motivation. If you don't have those things, it doesn't make sense.

"If he's being asked consistently and he hasn't positively reacted in the way we would have hoped, I don't see it making sense to ask him any further."

Gray also spoke about the return and impact of belligerent allrounder Andre Russell, who came out of retirement to rekindle his T20I career last year.

Reflecting on Narine and Badree's wizardry with the ball en route to the Windies' respective T20 World Cup titles, Gray said the quality Narine brings into any team cannot be understated.

"Obviously, there is a different ball-game now and T20 cricket has evolved. But if you have somebody like Sunil being frugal and he can come and bowl at different times of the T20 game, then you have a huge X-factor in your team," Gray said.

"If you can get him to play, that would be excellent. And (Sunil) can hit the ball as well."

The former West Indies pacer ended, "if you look at Sammy, he has the ability to get players motivated. And obviously, he would have led them in the past. He's trying to coax them into playing again. He did a good job by getting Andre Russell. I think Daren Sammy has that ability to motivate players, so let us see if it works."

The Windies have been grouped with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Uganda and Papua New Guinea in the T20 World Cup, and they will open their campaign against the latter team in Guyana on June 2.