Sunil Narine struggled to time the ball against Rajasthan Royals in the powerplay overs. RR bowlers targeted his legs, and the batter was cramped for room. It looked like Narine would not last long, but his stay at the crease was prolonged after spending time in the middle.
The southpaw started hitting the ball from the middle of the bat and scored his maiden IPL hundred. He looked happy during the first innings’ break and credited KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir with contributing to his ton.
“Gautam Gambhir gave me the confidence and the assurance to do well. He backed me as an opener,” he said.
His 109 runs came off 56 deliveries, packed with 13 fours and 6 sixes. The hosts posted 223/6 in 20 overs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Gambhir was with Lucknow Super Giants as a mentor for two years before agreeing to join the two-time champions as a mentor. His impact has been visible, with KKR winning four out of the five games in the cash-rich league.
Meanwhile, KKR won four matches and was second in the points table, with Rajasthan leading the points table.
