One of KKR’s biggest talismans, Sunil Narine, had missed out on the Kolkata Knight Riders ‘ clash against the Rajasthan Royals , where they secured a massive win over the Rajasthan Royals. Moeen Ali took over Sunil Narine‘s spot for the clash and made a notable impact with the ball. But the lack of Sunil Narine was felt as he missed out on the match after being unwell.
Kolkata Knight Riders rallied over the Rajasthan Royals in sheer fashion to pick up their first win of IPL 2025. The defending champions suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the season-opener clash at the iconic Eden Gardens. KKR have a long way to go, and they would be keen to defend their title.
Amid uncertainty over Sunil Narine’s availability, a new image has surfaced from the Wankhede Stadium, where the veteran all-rounder could be seen arriving to train at the iconic pitch. Sunil Narine has been taking up training, and it would be a huge boost for the Knight Riders as he has been an essential part of the team over the years.
Sunil Narine’s IPL career a glimpse
Sunil Narine has established himself as a T20 cricket specialist with his mystery spin skills. But he is not just limited to his spin bowling. Sunil Narine can smack his counterparts with the bat while opening the innings. And we have seen what he can do with the bat in many leagues. But it’s the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he has flourished the most.
Sunil Narine came to the IPL in 2012 and started his journey with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), helping them win three titles. And the Trinidadian is still with them as the backbone of their bowling attack.
Sunil Narine played his IPL debut match on April 8, 2012. He represented KKR for the first time against Rajasthan Royals. It was an average start for Sunil Narine, as he went wicketless in his four overs while conceding 29 runs. But he bounced back quickly and took his first and only five-wicket haul in his third match.
His match figures of 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) are still his best in the IPL. Sunil Narine continued his good form throughout the 2012 season and picked up 24 wickets in 15 matches. The mystery off spinner’s performance was crucial in KKR lifting their first-ever IPL title that season.
Sunil Narine displayed his vintage colours in the IPL 2024 season while playing for KKR. He fired up on two fronts, taking important wickets and scoring quick runs. Sunil Narine had the best season with the bat, scoring 488 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 180.74. His tally also included three fifties and his maiden T20 century. With the ball, Sunil Narine picked up 17 wickets at an economy of 6.69, helping KKR win their third IPL trophy.
Sunil Narine, an integral part of KKR since his first season in 2012, was one of their better performers in the opening-night loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), at home in Kolkata. He scored 44 off 26 balls after an initial struggle to get going and then took 1 for 27 as KKR went down by seven wickets.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) allrounder Sunil Narine is “100% fit” for their next match in IPL 2025 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. He had missed KKR’s previous match, against Rajasthan Royals, because he was unwell and resumed training on Saturday evening after the team arrived in Mumbai from Guwahati as per the update given by coach Chandrakant Pandit.
Sunil Narine is fit to play against Mumbai Indians on Monday in IPL 2025
The Kolkata Knight Riders‘ Head Coach, Chandrakant Pandit, has confirmed the availability of their star all-rounder, Sunil Narine, for their upcoming game against Mumbai Indians, set to be played at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. The experienced IPL campaigner missed out in the side’s previous clash against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, where they went on to win their first game of the season. Pandit, before their upcoming game against MI, confirmed Narine’s availability.
“Sunil is 100 per cent fit. He has definitely recovered well, and he has been practicing since yesterday. Today, he is practicing as well. So, he is absolutely fine at the moment,” he said.
Pandit remains focused on his team and their performances and hopes to take advantage of the Mumbai Indians’ losing streak, where they have not picked up a win in this season. But he remains wary of MI being capable opponents, especially when playing at home conditions.
“More than anything else, I would definitely think about the way our team has played the last game. Mumbai Indians have not been doing that (winning), so that is another advantage that we can put pressure on them,” he commented.
“But the game is being played in Mumbai and we have to adapt immediately to the conditions here and that is what we have been planning, (hopefully, we would be able to do that,” he said.
In Sunil Narine’s absence, Moeen Ali stepped up and delivered a fine performance with the ball. He took 2 wickets whilst conceding 23 runs in his four overs. Despite coming in to open the batting, he was only able to score five runs in 12 balls due to a mix-up which saw him being run out.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders have had a rollercoaster start to their season, but they have showcased a great display with the bat as well as the ball. Skipper Rahane performed well in the season opener, while Quinton de Kock also proved his worth with his match-winning knock against the Rajasthan Royals. Narine too performed well with the bat after scoring a 26-ball 44 against RCB.
With Sunil Narine expected to be back in action, the Kolkata Knight Riders would receive a big boost in the top order. QDK and Narine have showcased that they can perform well from the start, putting them in a better position against Mumbai Indians .KKR will look to continue their winning momentum to keep hopes of defending the title alive. But Mumbai in home conditions could be a dominant force who are not easy to deal with. MI will look to return to winning ways after a crushing defeat to the Gujarat Titans on Saturday in their recent fixture.
Also Read:Â MI vs KKR: Can Mumbai Indians Break Their Losing Streak?