Rajasthan Royals batter Rovman Powell plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Kolkata: West Indies captain Rovman Powell says efforts are on to convince the in-form Sunil Narine to come out of international retirement for this year's T20 World Cup but the Kolkata Knight Riders star has so far 'blocked everyone' who has tried to talk to him.
Narine, who will turn 36 next month, last played for the West Indies in a T20 International in August 2019 before retiring from international cricket in November last year to focus on franchise T20 leagues around the world.
But owing to his sensational form with both bat and ball this IPL season, attempts have been made to convince Narine to reverse his decision for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA in June.
"For the last 12 months, I've been whispering in his ears, he's blocked out everyone. Asked (Kieron) Pollard, (Dwayne) Bravo, (Nicolas) Pooran, hopefully before they select the team, they can crack his code," Powell said his IPL team Rajasthan Royals notched up a thrilling two-wicket win over Narine's KKR in a record IPL chase of 224.
Narine, who has been a key member of KKR since 2012, struck 109 from 56 balls to set the tone for their imposing 223/6.
He is also KKR's frontline spinner and their leading run-getter this season. With the ball, he has seven wickets and an economy rate of 6.87.
"It was a very good innings to watch. Sunil has done extremely well for KKR this season at the top. He's my fellow West Indian and hopefully he can continue doing well. As a West Indian, it's always nice to see your compatriots do well in the IPL," Powell later said at the post-match press conference.
While Rajasthan opener Jos Buttler anchored Royals chase with an unbeaten 107, Powell played a key cameo of 26 from 13 balls (1x4, 3x6).
It came at a time when runs started to dry up, and the 30-year-old Jamaican set the tone, smashing Narine for a four and successive sixes in the 17th over that yielded 16 runs.
"I started trying to hit, taking down Sunil as their main bowler and giving the guys that belief that if Sunil Narine can go for runs, then anybody can go for runs and that fuel right through the group," Powell said of the bowler who had not conceded a boundary at the Eden Gardens this season before last night.
"I told Jos that, 'just relax, I will try to hit a few sixes' because he was trying to hit the ball and he wasn't connecting. So I will go and try to hit a few sixes and after, if I get out, then you would take on the mantle of trying to score those big sixes," he added.
The Windies skipper felt such impactful innings hardly get any mention in today's era of 'data and technology'.
"In T20 cricket, a lot of persons don't get credit for playing impactful innings. A lot of technology is there that gives data as to innings that guys play, but not a lot of data or technology is there to pick up the impact," he rued.
Buttler overcame a foot injury to be fit in time for Tuesday's game.
"At one point, we thought he would miss more than one game. But the support staff and physio did a lot of work with him, and he only missed one game. I've seen 'Universe Boss Chris Gayle' score some really fantastic hundreds and this is definitely in the top five to be honest."
"This is one of the better games to chase, to be on the winning side in a chase of 220 in a T20 game, with a ramp-up crowd, at Eden Gardens leave a special feeling in your mouth," he signed off.