Sunil Narine reminded the cricketing world of his enduring class with a match-winning performance Tuesday night, helping Kolkata Knight Riders hold off the Delhi Capitals by 14 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
While KKR delivered as a unit, the spotlight belonged to Narine. The veteran all-rounder carved out his place in T20 history, matching Samit Patel’s record for the most wickets taken for a single franchise.
With 208 scalps for Kolkata, Narine now stands shoulder to shoulder with Patel, who hit the same mark for Nottinghamshire.
The victory breathes new life into KKR’s playoff campaign in the 2025 Indian Premier League and places Narine alongside one of T20’s elite.
The West Indian all-rounder not only delivered with the ball but also made a quick-fire impact at the top of the order, hammering 27 runs off just 16 deliveries.
His blazing knock, featuring two fours and two sixes, set the tone for KKR’s aggressive start as he and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (26 off 12) formed a 48-run stand within the first three overs.
Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi and finisher Rinku Singh kept the momentum going through the middle overs.
Raghuvanshi’s composed 44 off 32 and Rinku’s punchy 36 off 25 helped KKR post a competitive 204 for 9, a total that looked even more imposing thanks to Narine’s spellbinding work with the ball.
Tying a T20 Legend With 208 Wickets
When it came time to defend the total, Narine flipped the script once again—this time with his signature mystery spin.
He first broke through by removing Delhi skipper Axar Patel, who looked threatening with a 43-run blitz, and then dismissed power-hitter Tristan Stubbs in the same over.
Returning later, he claimed the prized wicket of Faf du Plessis (62 off 45), shutting the door on Delhi’s chase.
“It was a total team effort,” Narine said after the match. “I still back myself to come back and deliver. There are games where you don’t start well but end well. It’s all wickets, not just one I enjoy. I just swing and throw the ball as hard as possible—self-pride keeps me going. I always want to be an option for my captain in pressure situations.”
The win lifts Kolkata to seventh place in the IPL table, with nine points from ten games, still within striking distance in a packed mid-table race.