Robin Uthappa: Sunil Narine will come back stronger

Robin Uthappa and Sunil Narine with KKR owner Juhi Chawla (File Photo)

Kolkata, May 1 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Robin Uthappa hailed Sunil Narine for his hard work and exuded confidence that the spinner would make a strong comeback.

The West Indian was banned from bowling off-spinners in any Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tournaments, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), after being reported by match officials for a suspected illegal bowling action.

"He is someone, who adds so much value to the team. We respect his skills and contribution immensely. Definitely we miss him but we are confident that he will come through this," said Uthappa after his side beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday.

"He is a very hard working bloke but at the same time he is very quiet and a little sensitive. He will definitely come out stronger."

Narine had been earlier banned from bowling ahead of the Champions League Twenty20 final last year and was subsequently cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI after undergoing biomechanical tests. The Trinidadian underwent another test at the Sri Ramachandra Sports Sciences Centre in Chennai on Thursday.

With Australian Brad Hogg filling up the void, Uthappa hoped the Knights can play both the spinners together.

"They are like chalk and cheese. There is a massive difference between them but they are equally effective. It's good to have Hogg when we miss someone like Sunil Narine but if we have both of them together, we will have the lead bowling attack," said Uthappa.

Narine, who played a stellar role in KKR's twin IPL crowns, has been largely ineffective this season. Bowling with a remodelled action, he managed just two wickets from five outings.