‘I made peace with that decision’: Sunil Narine rules out possibility of international cricket return for T20 WC

West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine, who has been in red-hot form in the ongoing IPL 2024, has ruled himself out of a recall to West Indies’ squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, saying “that door is now closed” and he sees his retirement decision as final and has made peace with it.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder last played for the West Indies in August 2019 and announced his retirement in November last year. His impressive performance in the ongoing IPL sparked speculations of his comeback to the national team.

But Narine played down all the prospect of playing for the West Indies again by issuing a statement in which he said, “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.

“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.”

The 35-year-old is currently topping the tournament’s MVP standings. His remarkable run includes a stellar innings of 109 not out from 56 balls against Rajasthan Royals last week, marking his first T20 century. On the bowling front, Narin has 9 scalps in seven games.