Sunil Narine continued to enhance his IPL legacy after another match-winning spell for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), drawing rich praise from former India batter Ambati Rayudu, who called him the “best IPL player of all time”. Narine returned figures of 2 for 29 in KKR’s 29-run win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2026, producing yet another controlled performance in the middle overs to earn the Player of the Match award in his landmark 200th IPL appearance. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show after the game, Rayudu said Narine’s all-round influence and sustained excellence separated him from every other player in the league’s history.
“Proper match-winner with the ball, [and] with the bat,” Rayudu, who played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) said, as per ESPNcricinfo. “There have been such great players in the IPL, but this guy always stands out. He’s at the top of the list for me.”
Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar also placed Narine among the greatest performers the tournament has seen, citing his longevity and ability to reinvent himself despite scrutiny over his bowling action during different phases of his career.
“Some great names have plied their trade in this league, but yes, longevity is a factor. He had also had to overcome a lot of other problems in terms of how his action was questioned on many occasions, but he seems to have found another way of delivering with the same overspin that you generally associate with his skill set, [while] retaining the ability to get the ball turning both ways,” Bangar said.
“And that puts massive doubts in the batter’s mind. I think some of those qualities make him a legend of the league,” he added.
Narine, who has represented only KKR since making his IPL debut in 2012, is currently third on the all-time wicket-takers’ list with 205 wickets, behind only Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
His consistency has been equally remarkable. Across 15 IPL seasons, Narine has never once finished with an economy rate above eight runs per over. His latest spell against Gujarat was viewed by Bangar as another example of the extraordinarily high standards he has set.
“These are regulation figures for him. He has not done anything extraordinary; he has just done what he does on a regular basis,” Bangar said.
Bangar also revealed an earlier discussion with Rayudu on how difficult Narine was to face as a batter during Rayudu’s stints with the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
“He [Rayudu] said that he tended to bat defensively against him [Narine]; those ones and twos were the ways to go,” Bangar said.
“But there have been instances where people have tried to slog-sweep him, playing off the back foot through the off side, but nobody has actually taken him down in the manner in which the other spinners, some great spinners, have [been dominated] in the IPL. He seems to be a complete revelation in terms of how none of the batters over the last 12 or 13 years that he has played in the IPL have been able to dominate him,” he further added.
Rayudu also explained why Narine continues to thrive in an era dominated by aggressive batting, while other leading T20 spinners often endure fluctuating returns.
Referring to Rashid Khan, who went wicketless and conceded 57 runs in the same game, Rayudu highlighted the unique nature of Narine’s bowling.
“I think Rashid Khan has a unique problem, especially on pitches like that, because everything is a topspinner. When that kind of ball falls on the surface, it tends to come on quickly to the bat. But with Sunil Narine, everything he bowls tends to just hold on the surface. That’s something that always happens. His ball never skids onto the bat,” Rayudu said.
“So I just feel, as a batsman, it’s always tough to line up someone like a Sunil Narine because the ball tends to hold. You tend to lose your shape more often than not,” he concluded.
Narine has also contributed 1821 runs with the bat and has been central to all three of KKR’s IPL title triumphs, in 2012, 2014 and 2024, and continues to remain one of the league’s most influential cricketers more than a decade after his debut.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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