On Saturday (3rd October) evening, Caribbean cricketer Sunil Narine created history for his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as he became the most capped player for this team in T20 cricket.
Currently, Dinesh Karthik-led KKR are playing against Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 16th match of the IPL 2020 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium (Sharjah). KKR captain decided to bowl first after winning the toss.
It is Sunil Narine’s 123rd T20 match for KKR. Surpassing the record of the former KKR players Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan, who played 122 T20 matches each for this team, Narine created a new history and became the most capped player for KKR in T20 cricket.
Top three most capped players for KKR in T20 cricket
| Player | Matches |
| Sunil Narine | 123 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 122 |
| Yusuf Pathan | 122 |
Earlier, at the late moment of the IPL 2019, Sunil Narine became the most capped player for KKR in IPL history. The 32-year-old Narine is currently playing his 114th IPL match for KKR. He played other nine T20 matches for KKR in the now-defunct Champions League T20.
Sunil Narine is the only KKR bowler to claim 100 wickets
Narine made his debut for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2012, which was also his IPL debut. Since then, he has played every IPL season for KKR. Undoubtedly, Narine is the most wicket-taker for KKR, both in T20 and IPL, as he is the only KKR bowler to pick up 100 wickets.
Before this match, Narine has taken 142 wickets in 122 T20 matches for KKR. Out of those, the off-spinner has picked up 124 wickets in 114 IPL matches for this team. He is currently the 8th most wicket-taker in IPL history. Meanwhile, he was also the most wicket-taker for KKR in the Champions League T20 as he took 18 wickets for KKR in that tournament.
Though Narine has never won the Purple Cap in IPL history, just like the other KKR bowlers, he has won two Most Valuable Player awards in IPL career (IPL 2012 and IPL 2018). He played huge roles for KKR to win their two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, both under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership.
With the time progress, Sunil Narine has developed his batting skills and evolved as an effective all-rounder. Now, he also plays as an opening batsman for this team. The left-handed batsman has scored 796 runs for KKR in 122 matches (average 16.93 and strike-rate 163.44), including three half-centuries (best score = 75 runs).