Powell 'whispering in Narine's ears' for T20 World Cup return

Sunil Narine (Pic: AFP)

West Indies skipper Rovman Powell is trying to convince fellow IPL star Sunil Narine to come out of international retirement for their home T20 World Cup.

All-rounder Narine smashed his first T20 century on Tuesday and took two wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders as they went down to Rajasthan Royals.

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The 35-year-old announced his international retirement in 2023, four years after he last played a T20 for the West Indies. But with the World Cup in June hosted by the West Indies, together with the United States, Powell hopes his countryman will have a change of heart.

"For the last 12 months I've been whispering in his ears, he's blocked out everyone," Powell, who plays for Rajasthan, said. Powell hopes that Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Nicholas Pooran, fellow West Indians in the IPL, "can crack his code".

Pollard and Bravo are coaches while Pooran plays for Lucknow and is a key member of the West Indies team.

Narine, usually a middle or lower-order left-handed batsman, was promoted to open the Kolkata innings this season. He has responded with 276 runs including 109 off 56 deliveries at Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday.

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Narine has also claimed seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.87 in a season where big scores have come in abundance.

Narine said earlier this season that he would watch the World Cup "from home". But he gave a cryptic response when asked about his return to the West Indies team after his ton. "It is what it is -- we'll have to see what the future holds," said Narine, who has played 51 T20 internationals stretching back to 2012.

(With inputs from agencies)