Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is underway, and here's a deep look into the life of Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) 'mystery spinner' and stalwart, Sunil Narine.
Indian Premier League's (IPL) 18th edition is all set to commence on March 22, 2025, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The first match of this season's IPL is between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The defending champions, KKR, will be hoping for a cracking start by defeating RCB in their opening match.
In the final of IPL 2024, KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final by 8 wickets, and Shah Rukh Khan's team lifted their third title. No wonder Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to defend their title under the captaincy of iconic Indian batter, Ajinkya Rahane and Vice-Captain, Venkatesh Iyer.
Talking about the key players of Kolkata Knight Riders, the team has some exceptionally good cricketers, making them among the strong sides in this year's IPL. Some of the key players of KKR include Quinton de Kock, Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
Apart from all the above-mentioned players, there's still one more cricketer, who is referred to as the 'pillar of KKR'. Yes! We are talking about the 'Mystery spinner', Sunil Narine, who joined Kolkata Knight Riders back in 2012, and since then, he has been loyal to the franchise. From scoring centuries for KKR to clinching wickets in crucial moments, the Trinidadian cricketer has been instrumental in the team's success so far. Sunil played 177 matches for KKR, scoring 1534 runs and taking 180 wickets.
The ace all-rounder, Sunil Narine, has won three IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012, 2014, and 2024. For the uninitiated, he was born on May 26, 1988, in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago. As per some reports, Sunil's father chose the name 'Sunil' for his son because the doting daddy was a huge fan of the legendary Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar. It's incredible how things panned out in Sunil's life as he lived up to the weight of his name.
The ace cricketer played international cricket for West Indies from 2011 to 2019. The spinner played a vital role in the West Indies' triumph over Sri Lanka in the final of the 2012 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. However, not everyone is aware of the fact that Sunil Naraine has a connection to India. As per a report in Sportskeeda, Sunil's ancestors belonged to India, but they moved to the Caribbean for better work opportunities.
Kolkata Knight Riders' star player, Sunil Narine is married to Anjellia Suchit, who is a renowned fashion designer. Anjellia also owns a clothing brand in Trinidad called The Fashion Atelier. Although the couple's marriage date isn't known, but as per reports, Sunil and Anjellia got married in 2020. In 2021, the couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy, and chose the name 'Silas Narine' for him.
Before falling in love with Anjellia Suchit, Sunil Narine was in love with a lady named Nandita Kumar of Indian origin. The couple got married in 2013, but cracks soon started appearing in their happy married life. As a result, the couple got divorced and moved on in their respective lives.
What are your thoughts on Sunil Narine's connection to India and these anecdotes from his personal and professional fronts? Let us know.
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