Sunil Narine announces retirement from international cricket

West Indies spinner Sunil Narine has announced his retirement from international cricket following an eight-year career from 2011 to 2019.

The 35-year-old came into the limelight playing for the Trinidad & Tobago franchise in the now-defunct 2011 Champions League. In that tournament, Narine picked up 10 wickets in six games at an incredible average of 10.50 and an economy rate of 4.37.

It led to the mystery off-spinner making his debut for the West Indies in ODIs later that year before playing in all three formats in 2012. Narine was a vital cog in West Indies' 2012 T20 World Cup triumph, with nine scalps in seven games at an economy of 5.63.

The spinner recorded figures of 3/9 in the grand finale against Sri Lanka to steer West Indies to a 36-run victory.

Narine took to his Instagram handle to announce his international retirement while also reaffirming his continued participation in franchise cricket around the world.

"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. 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," wrote Narine.

Overall, Narine picked up 165 wickets in his international career, consisting of six Tests and over 100 white ball games.

Despite playing only six red-ball matches for the West Indies, the 35-year-old bagged two five-wicket hauls. Narine also picked up four or more wickets on six instances in 65 ODIs and once in his 51 T20Is.

"My father is ever present with me when I take to the field" - Sunil Narine

Narine has been a model of consistency for KKR for over a decade in the IPL.

Sunil Narine further thanked his father for being a pillar of support throughout his career, especially during testing times. The 35-year-old confirmed that the ongoing Super50 Cup will be his final List-A tournament.

Narine has picked up 182 wickets in 113 List-A games at an average of 20.55 and a sensational economy rate of 3.65.

"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. 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," Narine wrote.

While Narine impressed in his brief international cricket, his heroics were mainly seen in various T20 leagues across the globe. The off-spinner has over 500 wickets in T20s with a remarkable average of 21.28 and an economy of 6.12 runs per over.

Narine was instrumental in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) winning their only two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. He is also the eighth-leading wicket-taker in league history with 163 scalps.