As Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are gearing up to begin their IPL 2021 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 11, skipper Eoin Morgan backed under-fire all-rounder Sunil Narine to perform well this season.
Narine delivering with the bat and ball had given KKR multiple options in the past but his exploits weren’t up to the mark last season and he was also called for suspect bowling action.
During the IPL 2021 auction, KKR had roped in Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan, whose presence in the squad might put extra pressure on Narine to perform. However, the KKR captain thinks differently.
"Shakib and Sunil are no different. In big moments of the game, particularly last year, you would throw Sunil the ball or you would get him in with the bat because he has been in that situation over and over again.
"He believes in himself and in the team to go and get through and win that situation," Morgan said, strongly backing Narine on the eve of their IPL 2021 opener.
Apart from Shakib, KKR also bought seasoned campaigners like Ben Cutting and Harbhajan Singh at the IPL 2021 auction.
"Given that we have a bit more travel this year and we go from venue to venue, it's important to have strength and depth in the squad. Shakib Al Hasan gives us a different dynamic in the team.
"Given that we play at different venues where the conditions change quite a lot, you have a spin bowling all-rounder who had success in international cricket and IPL at different stages. If called upon, he can definitely deliver," Morgan said.
The other five buys of the auction included Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi.
"I think considering the possible holes we had in our squad last year, we had a very good auction this year, made some good recruitment decisions, and managed to get people on board with a small budget, giving us a lot more depth around the squad," Morgan said.
Having taken over the reins of KKR captaincy from Dinesh Karthik in the middle of last season, Eoin Morgan will be leading the franchise from the very first game this season and he is expecting big support from his predecessor.
"DK offers a lot with the bat and behind the stumps. He has been in fine form, and he is always one of those players who if you watch him train and particularly bat, he times the ball beautifully and hits the ball further than most of the guys.
"He offers a huge amount of support to me on the pitch and off the field as well. Very grateful that he is in good form and in our team," he said.
Morgan also has high hopes from opener Shubman Gill, who is coming into the IPL after playing a key role in India’s Test series triumph Down Under.
"Gill, coming on the back of winning an away Test match series in Australia, is a huge achievement early in your career. And, to have him in your squad on the back of that win, is fantastic," Morgan said.
(With PTI inputs)
