The hopes of Sunil Narine's pursuers and cricket enthusiasts at large were dashed, as the player has shut the proverbial door on coming out of retirement, thereby ruling himself out of selection to represent West Indies at the upcoming ICC Men's Twenty20 World Cup.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell and Cricket West Indies vice-president Azim Bassarath were among those hoping to convince Narine to make himself available for one last hurrah at the June 1-29 global showpiece to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States. However, the decision that fans awaited with bated breaths came recently when Narine confirmed that "that door is now closed" despite his stellar form for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Narine, 35, is currently leading the tournament's MVP standings after a remarkable run of form, including a magnificent 56-ball unbeaten 109 against Rajasthan Royals last week, his maiden T20 century. He is also KKR's joint-leading wicket-taker, taking nine at 22.11 with his offspin, at an economy rate of 7.10.
That rich vein of form is what initially resulted in Powell's pursuit, as the Jamaican admitted that he had been "whispering in [Narine's] ears" over the previous 12 months, ahead of what will be West Indies' first home World Cup campaign since 2007.
Narine, who retired from international cricket in November 2023, having not played for West Indies since 2019, insisted he was not about to change his mind.
"I'm truly flattered and humbled that my performances recently have moved many people to publicly express their wish for me to come out of retirement and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup," Narine wrote in a statement issued by KKR,
"I have made peace with that decision and whilst I never wish to disappoint, that door is now closed, and I will be supporting the guys who take the field in June for West Indies. Guys who have worked hard for the past few months and deserve to show our wonderful fans that they are capable of winning another title - I wish you all the best," he added.
The Darren Sammy-led West Indies, who won the 2012 and 2016 edition, will be hunting a third title overall and first with Sammy at the helm as coach.