Sunil Narine bids farewell to international cricket

Sunil Narine announces retirement from international cricket after an eight-year career with the West Indies.
The T20 specialist, known for his Champions League and T20 World Cup success, expresses deep gratitude to his supporters.
Narine plans to end his List A cricket career with a win in the ongoing Super50 Cup.

Sunil Narine, the West Indian cricket sensation, has officially called time on his remarkable eight-year international career. His last appearance for the West Indies was in a T20I match back in August 2019, and he chose to share the news with the world via an Instagram post.

In his heartfelt announcement, Narine expressed his gratitude to the people who stood by him throughout his career, helping him achieve his dream of representing the West Indies. While known for being a man of few public words, he poured his heartfelt thanks onto these individuals privately.

“I appreciate it has been over four years since I last played for West Indies but today I am announcing my retirement from international cricket,” Narine wrote on Instagram. “Publicly I am a man of few words but privately there are a few people who have given me unwavering support throughout my career and helped me realise my dream of representing West Indies and to you I express my deepest gratitude.”

Narine’s journey to stardom began when he burst onto the scene during the now-defunct Champions League T20 for Trinidad & Tobago in 2011. He soon made his international debut in an ODI in December of the same year, eventually accumulating an impressive record of 122 international appearances, spanning across six Tests, 65 ODIs, and 51 T20Is.

His most significant contribution came in 2012 when he played a pivotal role in West Indies clinching their first T20 World Cup title, marking their first World Cup win in any format since 1979. Despite this monumental achievement, he would only participate in one more edition of the T20 World Cup, in 2014.

Since 2012, Narine has become a household name in the T20 circuit, primarily thanks to his consistent performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders. His continued success in the franchise leagues worldwide has made his presence in the T20 arena almost routine, establishing it as his new norm for the foreseeable future.

Throughout his journey, Narine acknowledged the tireless support of his father, whose love and encouragement carried him through moments of doubt and questioned the pursuit of his dreams. He also expressed his love for representing Trinidad & Tobago, his home country, and set his sights on adding one more title by winning the ongoing Super50 Cup, a perfect send-off for his List A cricket career.

“[My father] is ever present with me when I take to the field and I am indebted to his support and love, which carried me through the times I questioned whether the pursuit of my dreams was really worth it,” he wrote. “I love representing Trinidad & Tobago, the country of my birth, and to add another title by winning the Super50 Cup will be the perfect send-off.”

As Narine’s international retirement becomes official, the cricket world bids farewell to one of its most iconic and beloved all-rounders, and he sets his sights on leaving a lasting mark in the remaining matches of the Super50 Cup, before continuing his T20 adventures.