Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) West Indian spinner Sunil Narine is often considered to be one of the most difficult bowlers to face given the number of variations he possesses. However, Narine considered former India opener Virender Sehwag as the best batter he has bowled to.
Narine completed 10 years with the franchise and will play his 150th IPL game for KKR on Monday.
In an interview with KKR, he was asked about a batter who he thinks played him the best, Narine opted for Virender Sehwag.
He said: "I will probably have to say Virender Sehwag. I always found it tough because he was a guy who always kept the game going no matter what situation the team was in, he kept batting the way he did."
Asked how he manages to bog down the hard-hitters in a tournament like the IPL, the 33-year-old said that it basically comes down to keeping things simple.
"It's basically if I bowl a bad ball and get hit for a six, obviously I have to bowl a better ball. If I bowl a good ball and the batter hits it for a six, I don't try to read too much into it. I try to bowl maybe the same ball because batters don't quite have the same shot consistently, they try something else. I try to keep it as simple as possible,” he explained.
He was also asked about a reported request made by Sachin Tendulkar to the broadcasters of the 2012 Champions League T20 tournament to provide him with the footage of his bowling.
In reply, he said: "It gives you a good feeling knowing that one of the greatest batters to ever play the game wants to focus on you but it shows that he is dedicated and he wants to be on the top of his game and doesn't want to be surprised when the game comes. I think for any player or youngster coming up, always strive to be the best and work on the fine details."
Narine also said that he was happy to complete a decade at Kolkata Knight Riders and hoped that he doesn't have to play for any other franchise, given the love he has got at KKR.
He said: "Yeah I have always told Venky Mysore, KKR CEO, that hopefully, I don't play for any other franchise, I have loved my stay at KKR so hopefully I start and finish here. I think it's a great achievement. You don't see many overseas players stay with one franchise. Luckily, I am one of them and hopefully, I can continue to be with them in the future."
KKR will face RR at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday, April 18, 2022.
(IANS inputs)
