Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 12: Kolkata Knight Riders’ wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock heaped praise on teammate and opening partner Sunil Narine after their emphatic 8-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
In what turned out to be a completely one-sided contest, Kolkata’s spinners wreaked havoc, dismissing CSK for their lowest-ever home total of just 104 runs. KKR then chased down the target in a mere 10.1 overs, sealing a dominant victory.
Central to the win were Kolkata’s mystery spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. Narine was particularly effective, finishing with figures of 3/13, while Chakravarthy chipped in with 2/22, collectively strangling Chennai’s batting lineup.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, de Kock underlined the importance of KKR’s spin duo, saying,
“I think the two of them, the big thing that the value that they bring is the amount of variations they bring. Obviously, both of them are mystery spinners. It’s always mixing it up. It’s hard to line up shots against spin bowlers like that because you never know what you’re gonna get.”
Following his stellar bowling performance, Narine lit up the powerplay with the bat, smashing a fiery 44 off just 18 deliveries at a staggering strike rate of 244.44. De Kock, his opening partner, lauded Narine’s fearless batting approach and shared insights into their partnership.
“Obviously, Sunny, when he bats, he brings the X factor. I think every bowler knows he’s going to come hard,” de Kock said. “He likes to go from ball one. I just try to face one or two balls and give him feedback on the pitch. Initially, it’s pretty easy—just trying to get him on strike.”
De Kock also credited Narine’s consistent hard work behind the scenes, adding,
“He’s always at practice. I think he’s missed no practices, even optional ones. He really does work on it, and when it comes off, it’s great. It means the team’s going to get a flyer.”
With the victory, KKR continues to assert itself as a strong contender this IPL season, and Narine’s all-round brilliance remains one of their most potent weapons.