Since 2012, Sunil Narine has been a mainstay in the KKR squad. Days before the IPL 2026 auction, the veteran mentioned Umran Malik as an X-factor going into the new season. The right-arm pacer joined the camp last year as a replacement for Chetan Sakariya. On the IPL 2026 retention deadline day, Umran was retained into KKR squad, while Sakariya was released in the auction pool.
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The Kolkata Knight Riders are looking for a massive overhaul in the upcoming auction on December 16, set to take place in Abu Dhabi. With the KKR remaining purse of INR 64.30 crore, multiple players were shown the door. Andre Russell, who is also known as the face of the franchise, announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League.
Speaking to PTI, Sunil Narine spoke about his excitement to share the dressing room with the young pacer, Umran Malik. He hopes the fast bowler remains fit for the season, and he will expectedly perform well on the shorter grounds.
“He is an exciting bowler. I think you need that X factor when it comes to pace in IPL because of the small grounds and the good pitches. I think he’s [Umran Malik] going to do pretty good. He came [and joined the side] at the back end of the last IPL, and he looked good. I’m looking forward to seeing some 145-150kph balls,” Sunil Narine said.
The 37-year-old all-rounder will miss his countryman, Russell, in the dressing room. However, Narine believes the captain and coach will find the right combination as the action unfolds for the new season.
“But hopefully we get the right combination and we could go out there and deliver the goods when IPL starts next year,” he added.
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The Jammu & Kashmir pacer first hit the headlines in the 2021 season, when he clocked 157kph delivery on his IPL debut. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Umran Malik made his mark straightaway. In three games, he picked up a total of two wickets.
However, his breakout season came a year later when he played 14 matches. He returned with an impressive 22 scalps, albeit at a slightly higher economy of 9.03. In the next two seasons, Umran played only six games and took five wickets. He was let go by SRH ahead of the mega auction last year.
Umran was added to the KKR squad after Sakariya’s hip injury. But the youngster will continue to represent KKR in the IPL 2026.
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