For seven years now, Gautam Gambhir has had one talisman. Bowlers have come and gone for the Knight Riders, but in seven seasons now, their one commanding principle still shines as brightly as it did in 2012: when in pressure, toss the ball (and now, even the bat!) to Sunil Philip Narine. And unfailingly, he has delivered.

In his first three seasons, the “mystery” spinner from the Caribbean was deadly. No one could pick him, those who tried were found out miserably. From 2012 when he first shot to fame in the IPL to 2014, Narine was an unstoppable force.

But then came difficult times for the quiet, unassuming 28-year-old from Trinidad. Narine’s action was deemed “suspect” at the Champions League Twenty20 in 2014, which started a frustrating roller-coaster ride for him. He went back and worked on his action and got it cleared, only to have it reported again in 2015. Though he escaped with a “final warning” from the BCCI the second time around, he was called again on international duty in the same year and was cleared a third time by the International Cricket Council before 2016.

Narine lets it rip against Hyderabad. Image credit: Prashant Bhoot/Sportzpics/IPL

These three years have been turbulent times for Narine. The Knight Riders have, however, stuck with him thick and thin. And now they are reaping the results of it.

Here are some numbers for Narine in this season. In four matches so far, he has just conceded 92 runs in 96 balls. That is less than a run a ball. In T20 cricket. Forty-three of his deliveries have been dots. To put it into perspective, Narine has bowled a dot every 2.23 balls.

And while you marvel at that, keep in mind also, that he gave away 33 runs in four overs in Kolkata’s first match against the Gujarat Lions. Take that match away and Narine has given away only 59 runs in 72 balls. In batting terms, that’s a strike rate of just 81.44. Even in One-Day Internationals, you don’t see that sort of strike rate anymore.

In fact, let’s break down Narine’s performance even more. Here are his records against individual batsmen in the last four matches.

The names on the list aren’t tail-enders. They include Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Jos Buttler, Rohit Sharma, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, David Warner and Yuvraj Singh. These are some of the biggest hitters of a cricket ball. And not one of them has managed to get the measure of Narine. To add to that, he’s managed to deliver a dot ball to every player on that list, with the exception of Suresh Raina in the first match.

The value of a dot ball in T20 cricket cannot be underestimated. Often enough, a dot ball is as valuable as a wicket-taking ball. A dot ball restricts scoring and increases pressure on the batting team. If the opposition side is chasing (which they have in two of KKR’s matches this season), it leads to an immediate surge in the asking rate. It can often lead to false shots and stupid mistakes. And when it comes to dot balls, Narine is a master at his craft.

A day before the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gambhir had remarked, “Having Sunil in the side is always a luxury”. After remodelling his action, Narine may not be taking as many wickets as he used to. But the spinner is showing that there are more ways to win your team a match than just by taking wickets. No, Gambhir, Narine is no “luxury”, he’s an undisputed match-winner.