Sunil Narine’s century in the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals match in IPL 2024 has garnered significant attention, especially from KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir. Narine’s innings of 109 runs in just 49 deliveries was crucial in setting a record for the joint-fastest century for KKR in the IPL, a feat he shares with Venkatesh Iyer.
Gambhir’s reaction to Narine’s century stood out as he rushed towards the batsman during the drinks break and hugged him tightly. This gesture seemed to symbolize Gambhir’s faith in Narine’s ability as a batsman, indicating that he had always believed Narine would achieve such a milestone someday.
Since Gambhir became the mentor this year, Narine has been Kolkata Knight Riders’s standout batsman, scoring 276 runs in six matches at an average of 46. This is a significant improvement compared to his performances in previous seasons, where he had struggled with the bat. Narine credited Gambhir for giving him confidence and assurance about his role as an opener this season.
Narine expressed his gratitude towards Gambhir, stating, “Gambhir give me confidence & assurance about the opening ahead of the season.”
He added, “If someone had told me at the start of the IPL that I’d be in the running for orange cap, I’d have taken it as a joke because I hadn’t opened in a long time. With GG (Gambhir) coming back, he gave me the confidence and assurance that I’ll open. I want to give the team a good start in as many of the 14 innings, job is just to give the team a good start and then keep going.”
Overall, Narine’s century and Gambhir’s support highlight the positive impact of mentorship in cricket, showing how belief and encouragement from a mentor can elevate a player’s performance to new heights.
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