Cricket News: The KKR assistance coach Simon Katich believes that it would give the team an extra advantage if the Caribbean will open the Innings for the Knights.
VIVO IPL 2018: KKR is optimistic about featuring Narine in their first match against RCB.
In this eleventh season of the IPL, among all the teams KKR has the thinnest squad, for this season as well they banked on the Australian hard hitter Chris Lynn and the all-rounder Sunil Narine, but in the beginning of the season both the player faced some issues as the Australian star picked up an injury and Narine got alleged for his bowling action in the Pakistan super league. But none the less KKR assistance coach Katich feels that in their very first match Narine can create the difference between both the teams.
On this Sunday KKR and RCB will lock their horns for the mouthwatering encounter at den Gardens, where KKR will get the full support from their home supporters in their backyard, and this time Dinesh Karthik will lead the Knights in their IPL quest and along with him Robin Uthappa will be his deputy.
Katich is very much sure that in their first match they can include Narine in their squad and his bowling action should not be a problem.
He voiced: “Obviously there were some issues recently in the PSL where he was playing for Lahore [Qalandars], but he’s since gone back to Trinidad and spent a lot of time with [spin-bowling consultant] Carl Crowe, working on his action. Carl’s his coach, last few years he’s been working with him since he first got reported. He’s done a lot of hard work there, we’re pretty confident with where he’s at with the action at the moment, so hopefully we’ll see him back out there on Sunday,”
He added about Narine’s batting option: “We felt that Sunny opening was going to give us an advantage with the balance of our team and also free him up to play a role at the top of the order, which he did a very, very good job of. He’s primarily one of our main spinners, if not our number one spinner, but given the balance of our team, you never know where he’s going to bat, so it all depends on what we feel the best combination is,”