Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir on Saturday confirmed that West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, reported for a suspect bowling action, will be up for selection against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here on Sunday.
Narine’s action was reported by the match officials after the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
His action was initially cleared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of the start of the ongoing IPL. He underwent bowling action corrective tests in Chennai on Saturday.
“Sunil is available for the game tomorrow [Sunday], he is undergoing tests in Chennai, and the results will be out in about 48 hours, but he is available. The management did not want to take risk and he was thus sent,” Gambhir said at the pre-match conference here.
The skipper though said it is “disturbing” and “unsettling” to deal with such an issue again as Narine has played a pivotal role in winning them the IPL trophy twice.
“It is unsettling and disturbing, but we do not have a choice, we have to deal with the issue,” he said.
Asked if the team management would not risk the West Indies spinner, then who would his spinning options be for such a tough game, the skipper said, “If we decide to rest Sunil, someone like a [Brad] Hogg, he can turn it both ways, [Johan] Botha, [K.C.] Cariappa might get a look in for the game.
“The attack has always revolved around him, but if we do not play him, we will have to wait and see what can be done.”
The skipper further added that the management was satisfied with Narine before the start of the IPL and hence had allowed him to feature in all the five games.
“The management was satisfied after he got through the last tests successfully, and hence we were playing him, the umpires have only reported certain deliveries, and I hope it comes out well for us,” he said.
