Kolkata (West Bengal) [India] May 2 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seamer Vaibhav Arora said on Friday that KKR veteran bowling all-rounder Sunil Narine is the most important player in the team.
He praised his all-around skills in batting, bowling, and fielding and said that if he continues his form, KKR will definitely win their remaining four matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I will tell you that he [Sunil Narine] is the most important player for us, the pure MVP. For example, you take batting, bowling, fielding, and in the last match, you take captaincy. So, he is a pure all-rounder. He is a perfect bowler. He is one of the best bowlers and one of the best batsmen in the team. So, you are getting so much in the player, and he is the best player. In the last match, we won against DC. He bowled, batted, fielded, ran out, and also took captaincy. So, his role will be very important in the upcoming matches as well because he contributes to the team from both sides. So, if his form remains the same in the next matches, then we will definitely win,” Vaibhav Arora told ANI.
Narine has taken 10 wickets in nine matches this season with a brilliant economy of 7.70. He has also contributed with the bat, making 178 runs with a healthy strike rate of 174.51.
Vaibhav spoke about the KKR fast bowling unit in this IPL and explained why Kolkata’s fast bowling unit has fewer wickets this season than in IPL 2024.
“This year also, as you can see, in the last 10 matches, Harshit and I have wickets. Because of the conditions, we played fast bowlers, spinners, and on-off. So, Harshit and I are playing permanently. I have 12 wickets, he has 11 wickets, and both of us have wickets. So, the fast bowling unit is doing well, but there is no third bowler, who was continuously playing last year (Mitchell Starc); we are playing with spinners. So, that’s why KKR the fast bowling unit has less wickets.”
He talked about the captaincy style of former KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer, who led Kolkata to the IPL title last season, and current KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane. He said both are perfect captains.
“Both are good. Like, Shreyas is the same as Ajinkya Rahane. Like, whichever field we call, he shows the trust of the bowler. Like, if the bowler wants the field, he says, it’s okay, whatever field you want, you can take it, don’t worry about it. So, like, there is no difference between the two. Both are very supportive, and both trust the bowlers a lot. So, like, both are equally, I would say, perfect captains.”
He shared his learnings from former KKR bowler Mitchell Starc and veteran all-rounder Andre Russell. he said, “Last year, Starc was one of the best bowlers in the world. So, like, I got to learn a lot from him. Because, from Starc, his yorkers, the discipline in bowling, the way he works out, the discipline he has in his bowling, on the field. So, I got to learn a lot from him. And, Russell, who has been working for so many years, he has done death bowling in the last match as well. So, whenever he comes, he puts yorkers in practice as well. Before the match, when you are bowling, you put yorkers in practice as well. So, you get to learn that if you are practising so much for one thing, you get the same result in the match as well.”
Vaibhav expressed confidence in KKR batter Venkatesh Iyer, believing his form will improve and that he’ll replicate his successful performances from previous years.
“We have confidence in him [Venkatesh Iyer]. His form is very normal. He comes back in one match. Maybe he will score in the next match. In the next match, he will play like this. So, his form can only go up. In the next match, hopefully, he will play like he did last year. He will play like he did in 2021. His form will continue like that,” he added.
Venkatesh Iyer is having a lean period in the ongoing IPL. He has made only 142 runs in ten matches with an average of 20.29. Last season, he made 370 runs and played a key role in KKR’s title victory.
Vaibhav Arora, a speedster making a name for himself through his incredible swing bowling and accuracy.
He impressed everyone with his ability to swing the ball and soon made domestic debuts across all the formats for Himachal Pradesh in quick succession.
Vaibhav had a small gig with KKR in 2021. However, he was released the next year and found his way back in 2023. After making a comeback to KKR, Vaibhav played a key role in opening the bowling for the Knight Riders. His ability to swing the ball both ways, along with his accuracy, made him a crucial factor for KKR in the powerplay.
So far, he has played 29 matches in IPL and grabbed 31 wickets, with best figures of 3/27. He has an average of 28.35 and an economy of 9.22. This IPL season has been the best for Vaibhav, in terms of picking up wickets, he has already scalped 12 wickets in nine matches, his previous best season was 2024, where he took 11 wickets. (ANI)
