Surrey sign Sunil Narine as overseas player for T20 Blast

The West Indian off-spinner, who spent The Hundred with Oval Invincibles, will join up after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League

Sunil Narine has been confirmed for his first spell in English county cricket with Surrey for the T20 Blast.

The West Indian mystery spinner joins as the first of two overseas players for the competition.

Narine will join up following the conclusion of his Kolaka Knight Riders commitments in the Indian Premier League.

Surrey begin their Blast campaign against Glamorgan on May 27 - two days before the scheduled IPL final.

Confirmation of the move comes after Narine played for Oval Invincibles in the inaugural season of the men's Hundred.

Kemar Roach and Hashim Amla have already been signed up for the County Championship.

The 33-year-old has a wealth of T20 experience, with 429 wickets in 391 matches. Only Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir and Rashid Khan have more scalps in the 20-over format.

Success has followed Narine across the franchise world. He's won two IPL titles with KKR, three Caribbean Premier League crowns and two more in the Bangladesh Premier League.

^{Narine was part of the 2012 T20 World Cup win - but hasn't played for the West Indies in three years (PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images)}

He is also a handy pinch-hitter who can be used up and down the order, with a batting strike rate of 146.74.

Despite his prowess, Narine has not represented his country since 2019. His international career has seen him play six Tests, 65 ODIs and 51 T20Is. In 2012, he was part of the Windies squad that won the World T20.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to play for Surrey in the Vitality Blast this year; one of the few competitions around the world I've not experienced in my career," he said.

"The stint I enjoyed with Oval Invincibles in 2021 gave me a taste of how unique playing in front of a packed Oval crowd really is. My aim is to entertain as much as possible this year and hopefully ensure the club challenges for the trophy."

Director of cricket Alec Stewart added: "We're very pleased Sunil will be joining us for this year's Vitality Blast. His unique skills as a bowler and ability to bat anywhere in the order make him a very exciting proposition in any T20 side.

"As a proven winner in this format, his experience in internationals and leagues around the world will be an invaluable asset. I look forward to seeing him perform in a Surrey shirt this summer."