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STUMP VISION APRIL 11, 2025 | The Indian Eye 36

IPL 2025

From Jacob Duffy to Sunil Narine:

Bowlers and batters open up about

their idols and game

Spinner Sunil Narine completed 200 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR),

becoming the first player from the team to do so

OUR BUREAU
Kolkata
ew Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy opened up
on being crowned as the number one T20I
Nbowler in the ICC T20I rankings, calling his
rise to the top of the table as “bit of a surprise”.
Duffy was rewarded for his recent heroics in the
series against Pakistan as he reigned supreme in the
latest ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings.
Opening up on his achievement, Duffy told
New Zealand Cricket as quoted by ICC, “It is a bit of
a surprise. It is awesome to be amongst some of the
players on that list. Getting that kind of recognition
is pretty cool.”
“I honestly do not know what to say. I have had
a lot of messages today around that kind of thing. It
is a little bit surreal, to be honest,” he added.
Duffy became the first New Zealand player to
hold the premier bowling ranking in men’s T20I
cricket since spinner Ish Sodhi in 2018.
The 30-year-old rose to four spots in the lat-
est rankings to leap past Wanindu Hasaranga, Adil
Rashid, Varun Chakravarthy and Akeal Hosein,
who held the top spot previously.
In the absence of first-team regulars such as Jacob Duffy of New Zealand appeals for a wicket during the 1st T20I match against India last year (ANI)
Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, Duffy emerged as
an impressive pacer for New Zealand. In the recent ed 200 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), peared on the latest episode of Knight Club on Jio-
T20I series against Pakistan, he bagged an impres- becoming the first player from the team to do so. Hotstar, where he shared insights into his toughest
sive 13 wickets from his five outings at an average of Narine reached this milestone during his side’s In- bowling opponent, his teammates, and his personal
8.38 as New Zealand emerged victorious 4-1. dian Premier League (IPL) match against Sunrisers favourites.
• Duffy is also currently the joint-highest wick- Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Among his Kolkata Knight Riders teammates,
et-taker in the ODI series against Pakistan, with Thursday. During the game, Narine bowled a four- Rinku Singh was particularly curious about the enig-
five dismissals from the two matches so far. over spell in which he gave away 30 runs and took matic Sunil Narine. When asked what he would like
“It has been amazing, just to be in and around the wicket of Kamindu Mendis. to ask Narine, he responded with a lighthearted yet
the group for the last three or four years, sort of get- Now in 189 matches for KKR since debut in intriguing question.
ting a game here and there, but to really get stuck in 2012, Narine has taken 200 wickets at an average of “I just want to ask him--when he takes wickets,
and play consistent games, get whole series, it has 24.14, with best figures of 5/19, his solitary five-wick- why doesn’t he look happy? He doesn’t even smile. I
been awesome,” he added. et haul. He also has eight four-wicket hauls. just want to know why,” he said.
“I just want to be a regular member of the Black Narine is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL Narine, known for his calm demeanour on the
Caps across all three formats and win games of history, with 182 wickets at an average of 25.60 in field, rarely shows emotions even after significant
cricket for the country.” 180 matches, with best figures of 5/19. His rest of achievements, leaving fans and teammates equally
Having gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the the wickets for KKR have come in the now-defunct puzzled.
series, New Zealand will lock horns in the third and Champions League T20 competition, where he took Talking about his cricketing inspiration, Rinku
last ODI on Saturday, 5 April in Mount Maunganui. 18 scalps in nine matches. revealed that former India star Suresh Raina has al-
Meanwhile, Spinner Sunil Narine complet- KKR dynamic batter Rinku Singh recently ap- ways been his role model.

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