IPL-17 | Keeping to Narine can be a tough job, says Salt

Kolkata Knight Riders openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine.
| Photo Credit: AP

As a fellow opening batter and as a wicketkeeper to an unpredictable spinner, Englishman Phil Salt is experiencing an interesting rapport with West Indian Sunil Narine during their current stint for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

While opening the innings with Narine has been enjoyable for Salt, keeping to him has tested Salt’s anticipation.

“It’s great batting with Sunil. He has got a very different sort of skill set when he’s opening the batting. I suppose one of the good things for me is it takes the pressure off and I don’t have to strike with 200 in my first 10 balls. Normally, one of us gets going, and the other one feeds the strike. We can produce really big power plays, which is something that we’ve done,” said Salt at the Knight Golf, an annual charity event aimed at fostering the growth of young talent and empowering marginalised communities in the state, here on Monday.

Salt said there was not much conversation with ‘low key’ Narine while they batted. “Our conversations are mainly, who’s going to take what ball, who likes to match up, left-arm, spin, right-arm pace, all that sort of thing. We keep it very, very simple.”

However, with Narine the bowler in action, keeping is not easy for Salt.

“It can be a tough job. On the used pitches, keeping to Sunil, I don’t know which way the ball is turning, I don’t know what the bloke is thinking with the bat in his hands. I’ve been doing well so far, hopefully keep it going,” said Salt.