Surrey rope in WI spinner Sunil Narine for Vitality Blast campaign
Mar 10, 2022
London [UK], March 10 : Surrey County Cricket Club on Wednesday announced the signing of West Indies bowler Sunil Narine for the entirety of the Vitality Blast.
Narine will join up with the Club following the completion of his Indian Premier League commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders and is then available for the rest of the competition.
The Trinidadian takes up the first of two overseas slots in Surrey's Vitality Blast squad.
A white-ball mystery spinner with a series of variations and capable of batting anywhere in the order, Narine has forged a reputation as a highly-skilled performer through an international and franchise career that has spanned more than a decade.
The 33-year-old has played 51 T20Is for West Indies, taking 52 wickets, and has 429 wickets in 391 T20 matches in total across his career.
He was a key player in the 2012 T20 World Cup as West Indies lifted the trophy in Sri Lanka, taking nine wickets for his country. He also played in the 2014 T20 World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
In domestic leagues, Narine has won the Indian Premier League twice with Kolkata Knight Riders; receiving the Player of the Tournament accolade in 2012. He has also lifted the Caribbean Premier League three times and the Bangladesh Premier League twice.
His career has also taken him to the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, and Abu Dhabi T10 League. Narine will also have very recent memories of The Kia Oval, having played for Oval Invincibles in last year's inaugural edition of The Hundred.
On signing for the Club, Narine in a statement said: "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to play for Surrey in the Vitality Blast this year; one of the few competitions around the world I've not experienced in my career."
"The stint I enjoyed with Oval Invincibles in 2021 gave me a taste of how unique playing in front of a packed Kia Oval crowd really is. My aim is to entertain as much as possible this year and hopefully ensure the Club challenges for the trophy."
