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KKR trump card Narine yet to sizzle with ball

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star spinner Sunil Narine, whose lethal deliveries brought down the best of batsmen in the previous editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is yet to pick up a single wicket even after two matches in the current edition of the Twenty-20 tournament.

Narine remained wicketless for the second straight game as the defending IPL champions went down to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by three wickets at the Eden Gardens here on Saturday.

Though at his miserly best conceding just nine runs off his first three overs, the offie haemorrhaged 17 runs in his last at a crucial juncture, that tilted the balance in the visiting team's favour who chased down a stiff target of 178 with six balls to spare.

With RCB needing 31 off the last 18 balls, Knight skipper Gautam Gambhir summoned his spin ace hoping to contain the rampaging Chris Gayle, then on 78.

The big-hitting Jamaican treated Narine with disdain, hitting his first two balls for fours. Harshal Patel rubbed salt in his wounds with a towering six off the last ball and Narine finally finished with figures of 4-0-26-0.

Earlier, opening the bowling with pace spearhead Morne Morkel, Narine earned respect from RCB openers Gayle and Virat Kohli, accounting for just five runs in his first spell of two overs. 
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