IPL Play of the Day: Sunil Narine weaves his magic once again to keep Kolkata afloat

How many times have we seen Sunil Narine weave a net around the opposition batsmen to help Kolkata Knight Riders to victory? How often has he stepped in exactly when KKR needed him the most? There’s a reason the franchise has kept him year after year. The relationship has gone far beyond the IPL, with Narine also representing several other Knight Riders franchises across the global T20 leagues. KKR vs MI: Highlights | Scorecard

On Wednesday, Narine showed yet again why he is still considered one of the greatest T20 spinners despite being well past his prime. He returned exceptional figures of 4-0-13-1 and completely strangled the Mumbai Indians batting line-up. KKR sealed a decisive four-wicket win. If Narine had not slowed down in the middle overs, Kolkata could have easily ended up chasing something around 165, a target that would not have been so straightforward on the Kolkata surface, which was not exactly a batting paradise.

Yes, the Knight Riders had already reduced Mumbai to 46 for four in the over, but Narine still had the responsibility to ensure that the opposition did not get back into the match. With his trademark accuracy, subtle variations and relentless control, he never let the batting loose or shift the momentum back in Mumbai’s favour.

HOW NARINE EXPERIENCED MUMBAI

No matter how batting friendly a T20 pitch can be, conceding just one boundary in a four-over spell speaks volumes about the control and aura a bowler possesses. Sunil Narine again showed why batsmen still approach him with caution, if not fear, as he bowled 16 balls and never allowed Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya or Corbin Bosch to dominate him.

Narine throttled the MI innings during the middle overs on a pitch offering grip and spin. Using all his experience, the veteran spinner kept draining the momentum from the contest and forced the batsmen into survival mode.

Tilak looked uneasy from the moment Narine entered the attack. The left-hander struggled to read both the off-break and the deceptive carrom ball, often digging into the crease as he tried to pick the variation from Narine’s hand. Even after Tilak was able to break free with a six, Narine quickly stiffened again, denying him any rhythm.

Hardik also found it difficult to break the shackles. Narine repeatedly squeezed his space and changed his pace cleverly. One sharp carrom ball straightened behind Hardik’s outside edge and showed how difficult Narine was to read. The breakthrough finally came when Narine played a beautiful break that spun over Hardik’s defense and rattled the stumps.
Bosch also did not find room to breathe. Narine fired in a series of suffocating dots and beat him in defense and in the raid. At the end of his spell, Narine completely shut the door on Mumbai’s hopes of a late bloomer. Sunil Narine gets the big wicket of Hardik Pandya in Kolkata (PTI Photo)

JOB NOT YET DONE

Narine has been sensational for the Knight Riders this season. But his work is far from over. On the back of performances like these, KKR have won six of their last seven matches to keep their playoff hopes from fading after a disastrous start to the campaign.

However, one final obstacle now stands between them and a top four finish. Knight Riders take on Delhi Capitals in a must-win clash on May 24 at the Eden Gardens.

When KKR take to the field, they will already know exactly what is at stake. If Rajasthan Royals win the first leg of Sunday’s doubleheader, Kolkata’s campaign will be over and they will be playing for nothing but pride. But if Rajasthan slipped out, the door could open again. And if there’s one man KKR would trust at a time like this, it’s Narine.

The veteran spinner has historically loved bowling against Delhi, picking up 31 wickets against them at an impressive economy rate of 6.64. The Capitals have also struggled for rhythm this season, which explains why they are also struggling to stay alive in the playoffs. With the conditions at the Eden Gardens expected to be similar to the surface against Mumbai, Narine could once again become the biggest factor in the contest.

Don’t be surprised if Narine spins another web around the Delhi batsmen and drags KKR into the playoffs, a script he has authored countless times before.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

21 May 2026 07:37 IST