Sunil Narine became the first overseas player to reach the 200 matches landmark in IPL.
According to Ambati Rayudu, Sunil Narine is the best player in Indian Premier League history. The seasoned all-rounder helped the Kolkata Knight Riders win the game once more. In KKR's victory, Narine scored 2/29 in his 200th IPL match.
Thanks to Finn Allen (93), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (82*), and Camron Green (52*), KKR posted 247/2 in 20 overs. In response, Shubman Gill made 85, and Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler also made fifties, but GT only managed 218/4 in 20 overs. KKR won the game by 29 runs and has stayed alive in the tournament.
Rayudu highlighted Narine’s consistency and his ability to influence matches with both bat and ball, making him the best player the tournament has ever seen.
“Best IPL player, according to me, of all time. He’s a proper match-winner with the ball and with the bat. There have been great players in the IPL, but this guy always stands out. He’s at the top of the list for me,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo.
Narine's lengthy career and persistent effort continue to distinguish him in the league. He presently holds the third-highest wicket-taking record in IPL history, trailing only Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 205 wickets.
Narine, a one-franchise player since joining KKR in 2012, has played an important role in all three of Kolkata's IPL titles. He took 24 wickets at an economy rate of 5.47 during KKR's title-winning season in 2012, 21 wickets in 2014, and 17 wickets during their 2024 championship run.
Rayudu also explained why Narine is such a difficult bowler to face compared to other leading T20 spinners.
“I think Rashid Khan has a unique problem, especially on pitches like that, because everything is a topspinner. When that kind of ball hits the surface, it tends to come quickly onto the bat. But with Sunil Narine, everything he bowls tends to hold on the surface.
That’s something that always happens. His ball never skids onto the bat. As a batsman, it’s always tough to line up against someone like Sunil Narine because the ball tends to hold. You often lose your shape," Rayudu stated.