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Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) on Tuesday announced the re-signing of West Indies superstar Sunil Narine for the 2023 Vitality Blast campaign.
"Sunil will be available for all fixtures that don't clash with his commitments to the Knight Riders franchise. A white-ball specialist, Sunil has become a highly sought-after asset in world cricket due to not just his mastery of spin but his ability to bat anywhere in the order," Surrey said in an official statement. In 2022, Narine played 14 games for Surrey in the Vitality Blast. With the ball he took 14 wickets from 52 overs across 14 games, with an impressive economy rate of 5.96 runs per over. He impressed with the bat, too, hitting 199 runs with a strike rate of 163.11. His highest score came against Hampshire at The Kia Oval in June, when he hit a thrilling 52 off just 23 balls. Prized by clubs across the globe, Narine's career has seen him feature prominently in the Indian Premier League, Big Bash, Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League. He has represented the Oval Invincibles since 2021 so is no stranger to The Kia Oval pitch. The Trinidadian is the second overseas signing in as many weeks for Surrey, with Aussie quick Sean Abbott revealed to be returning to South London between April and July this year. "I am thrilled to return to The Kia Oval to play for Surrey in the Vitality Blast again. Getting knocked out in the quarter final last year was a real disappointment with the team we had. I know we can do better this year and will do what I can to help get us to Finals Day. Between Surrey and the Oval Invincibles, The Kia Oval is genuinely a second home for me in the English summer," Sunil Narine was quoted as saying by SCCC. "We saw what Sunil was all about in 2022, so I'm delighted to be bringing a player of his calibre back to Surrey. He is a world-class cricketer, capable of producing magic with both the bat and ball. I know Members and supporters will be excited by the prospect of his return. He, along with the rest of us, was disappointed last year when we didn't quite make it to Finals day, so I'm sure he'll be coming back in 2023 with a real hunger to put that right," Director of Cricket Alec Stewart said. (ANI)
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