Experienced campaigner Sunil Narine showcased his usual best once again, as he gave just 29 runs and picked up a couple of wickets in Kolkata Knight Riders' clinical 29-run win against Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens in Match 60 of IPL 2026 on Saturday, May 16. Narine was also adjudged the Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling in a high-scoring affair, leaving Piyush Chawla massively impressed.
Chawla, who himself was Narine's KKR teammate back in the day, said that the Caribbean cricketer
has been able to keep up with his ability to stem the flow of runs years after he's been past his prime. The cricketer-turned-commentator lauded Narine for being frugal against GT's star-studded batting attack and feels that it was eventually the difference between the opposition and winning in Kolkata.
"Sunil Narine is one of the best in the business, no doubt. Cricket has evolved, and runs are flowing everywhere. Many things have changed in modern-day cricket, but one thing hasn't: his economy rate. No matter the surface or the venue, 450 runs were scored in this game, but Narine's economy rate stood out as the difference. He bowled the tough overs and kept it tight. He also picked up two wickets", Chawla said via JioStar.
Among the couple of wickets Narine picked on Saturday night, he also got the big fish of Shubman Gill. The GT skipper was well set and looked determined to help take his team beyond the finishing line, but the veteran spinner arrived in the crucial 17th over of the chase to lure Gill into a false shot as the latter had to make his way back after 85 off 49. Chawla believes that this wicket pulled things completely in KKR's favour.
When Shubman Gill was going strong and looked set for a hundred, Narine changed his angle. We rarely see him go around the wicket to a right-hander. But he did it to cramp Gill up for room. He stayed on a good length for most of the game. The only full delivery he bowled was the one that got Gill out, when he came around the wicket. That worked perfectly. That is what makes him truly special," Chawla added.
Narine had a special occasion on Saturday, as it also marked his 200th match for KKR in the league's history. A few games back, the former West Indies cricketer also became the only overseas bowler in the IPL to get past the 200-wicket mark in the tournament and the third overall, joining the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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