Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has not shied away from his remarks about some of the great players in the 2020 Indian Premier League and his latest comment promises to continue the trend. On Monday, when Kolkata Knight Riders suffered an 82-race loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore, many fans felt the absence of spinner Sunil Narine, who was left out of Playing XI.
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Narine was reported for a suspicious illegal bowling action, and although he was able to continue playing, KKR chose to go without him due to a certain condition. The rules state that if Narine were reported one more time, he would be suspended from bowling in the tournament until it is approved. Pietersen, however, feels that the enthusiasm surrounding Narine has faded and that his absence would no longer be an important factor for the team.
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“If I’m honest, I’m not so sure that (Sunil Narine’s absence) is a huge loss. Andre Russell is the guy you spend time talking about in team meetings. When you bowl, you are thinking about it. When he hits, you’re thinking about that. It’s the same when he’s fielding, ”Pietersen said on Star Sports.
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Narine has been an integral part of KKR since coming to the franchise in 2012. In fact, in the previous two games, Narine won close KKR games by denying hitters to score runs in late overs. But despite that, Pietersen acknowledges that Narine’s abilities have diminished and that he is no longer the player he once was.
“Sunil Narine has not been the same bowler for a few years. It has not had its best moment; it hasn’t had its real big turn. Coming to Sharjah is not something you really care about Sunil Narine. And then the bowlers have found out in his batting. If you slap him, he doesn’t like it, ”Pietersen said.
“He’s a tailender who hits on top of innings. I really don’t like him at the top of the order as a hitter. He comes out 1 of 10, and that’s not good for the team and the team dynamics. As a bowler, he hasn’t spun it properly for 2-3 years. “
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