KKR vs SRH: Watch - Shreyas Iyer becomes 'GOAT' Sunil Narine as he bowls in the nets ahead of IPL 2024 final
Published - 25 May 2024, 04:39 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 10:50 PM
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer imitated his teammate Sunil Narine's bowling action ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) final against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Kolkata Knight Riders shared a video of Shreyas Iyer's practice session, which went viral across social media platforms.
The Shreyas Iyer-led team will take on the SunRisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. The Knight Riders qualified for the much-anticipated title clash by defeating the Pat Cummins-led team in "Qualifier 1" at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 21.
Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 58 off just 24 balls, including five boundaries and four maximums, in the last match. Shreyas added 97 runs off 44 balls with Venkatesh Iyer for the third wicket. The Knight Riders chased down the 160-run target with eight wickets and 38 balls to spare in the playoff match.
Watch - Shreyas Iyer Mimics Sunil Narine's Bowling Action
Skipper Shreyas. Bowling style: T20 GOAT! 😉 p<!---->i<!---->c<!---->.<!---->t<!---->w<!---->i<!---->t<!---->t<!---->e<!---->r<!---->.<!---->c<!---->o<!---->m<!---->/<!---->Q<!---->e<!---->C<!---->5<!---->i<!---->B<!---->r<!---->s<!---->F<!---->G
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) M<!---->a<!---->y<!----> <!---->2<!---->5<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->4
With the much-anticipated final approaching, KKR players intensified their practice sessions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The players also had a fun time amidst the rigorous training session in Chennai. KKR shared glimpses of practice sessions on the official X (formerly known as Twitter) handle.
In the video, Shreyas Iyer was seen imitating Sunil Narine's bowling action during the practice session. The KKR skipper copied the West Indies star's style of hiding the ball behind his body before delivering the ball. The video showed a split-screen comparison of Iyer's accurate mimicry of Narine's action.
Sunil Narine picked up 16 wickets in 13 innings at an average of 22.00 and an impressive economy rate of 6.90, with the best bowling figures of 2/22. The mystery spinner is the third-highest wicket-taker for the Kolkata-based team, trailing behind Varun Chakravarthy (20 wickets) and Harshit Rana (17 wickets).
KKR Probably Missed Shreyas Iyer's Captaincy In 2023 - Mohammad Kaif
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif credited KKR's journey to the IPL 2024 final to Shreyas Iyer's exceptional leadership. Kaif highlighted Iyer's strategic decision-making and composed captaincy. The former Indian batter stated that Iyer has become a much better captain now.
"He (Iyer) missed the whole IPL last year and KKR probably missed his captaincy in 2023. The way he is changing the bowlers, and picking his playing XI, he looks very calm under pressure. In a tournament like the IPL, you have to be very composed, you have to know what's happening in the game and Iyer has come a long way. He has become a much better captain now," Kaif was quoted as saying by PTI.
Shreyas Iyer's comeback as captain has significantly impacted Kolkata's performance in the IPL 2024. They concluded the league stage as table-toppers with nine wins out of 14 matches. Their last two league games against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were abandoned due to rain.
