Narine's form rediscovery this season was further helped by the return for Gautam Gambhir, this time as team mentor. Gambhir was KKR captain when they won the titles in 2012 and 2014.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Gambhir opened up on his first interaction with Narine. He said, "Me and Narine are similar characters, and so are our emotions. I still remember that when Narine first came into the IPL in 2012, it was in Jaipur, and we were going for practice, and I told him to come join us for lunch. He was so shy that he did not say a single word during lunch, and the first question that he eventually asked was, 'Can I bring my girlfriend to the IPL?'"
Explaining their relationship, Gambhir said, "He was so quiet that first season, but now, we can talk about anything. He is like a brother to me. I don't see him as a friend, I don't see him as a teammate, I see him as a brother. If I need him or he needs me, I think we are just one call away, that is the sort of relationship that we have built. We do not get excited much, we do not show too many emotions, we are not flamboyant, we just do the job and come back."
Narine also received the MVP award for his contributions this season. It will be interesting to see if KKR retain him, and if he enters the mega auction, it will be a mega bidding war.