West Indies captain Rovman Powell is attempting to persuade fellow IPL star Sunil Narine to end his international retirement and play in their home T20 World Cup.
Narine, an all-rounder, scored his first T20I on Tuesday and took two wickets for the Kolkata Knight Riders, despite their loss to the Rajasthan Royals.
The 35-year-old announced his retirement from international cricket in 2023, four years after his last T20I for the West Indies.
With the World Cup in June being hosted by the West Indies and the United States, Powell hopes that his countryman will have a change of heart.
Powell, who plays for Rajasthan, has been whispering in his ears for the past 12 months, but he has blocked out everyone.
Powell hopes that Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, and Nicholas Pooran, fellow West Indians in the IPL, can help him to understand.
Pollard and Bravo are coaching, while Pooran plays for Lucknow and is a key member of the West Indies team.
This season, Narine, who is usually a middle or lower-order left-handed batsman, has been promoted to open the Kolkata innings.
He has responded with an impressive 276 runs, including a stunning 109 off just 56 deliveries at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
In a season where big scores have been abundant, Narine has also claimed seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.87.
Although Narine had previously stated that he would watch the World Cup from home, he gave a cryptic response when asked about his return to the West Indies team after his ton.
Narine, who has played 51 T20Is since 2012, stated, 'We will have to wait and see what the future holds.'