Sunil Narine became the first bowler to take 200 wickets for a single IPL team, all while playing exclusively for Kolkata Knight Riders since 2012.
Sunil Narine has etched his name into IPL history by becoming the first bowler to reach 200 wickets for a single franchise. His entire IPL career has been spent with Kolkata Knight Riders since making his debut in 2012. Only two other bowlers in global franchise leagues have surpassed 200 wickets: David Payne from Gloucestershire and Chris Wood from Hampshire, both in England's T20 Blast competition.
Narine burst onto the IPL scene in 2012 with immediate impact, claiming 24 wickets in his maiden season. He continued his strong form, taking over 20 wickets in each of the next two seasons. By the end of the 2014 season, he had amassed 67 wickets, the highest total by any bowler across those three campaigns. His economy rate during this period was exceptional at 5.77, the best among bowlers who had bowled at least five overs in that timeframe.
Since 2015, Narine's wicket tally has dropped significantly compared to his early years. He has never surpassed 20 wickets in a single season after 2014, with his highest returns being 17 wickets in both 2018 and 2024. Between 2015 and 2022, he managed only 85 wickets in 100 innings, resulting in a strike rate exceeding 27 balls per wicket. However, since the introduction of the Impact Player rule, his strike rate has improved to around 22 balls per wicket. Eight of his nine four-wicket hauls in an innings came between 2012 and 2014, with only two such performances since—one in 2015 and another in 2021.
Despite the dip in wicket-taking, Narine's ability to restrict runs has remained unparalleled throughout his T20 career. Among 38 bowlers who have delivered 300 or more overs in the IPL, his economy rate ranks as the best. Since 2015, his economy rate of 7.13 is also the lowest among bowlers with over 200 overs in that period. His adaptability is evident in his workload: in 194 IPL innings, he has bowled at least three overs 189 times, maintaining remarkable control over his economy.
Narine's control is particularly evident in the middle overs, where his economy rate of 6.44 between overs seven and 16 is the best among 65 bowlers who have bowled at least 100 overs in this phase. His versatility extends across all match stages: he averages an economy rate of 6.9 across 161 overs in the powerplay, while also delivering 62 wickets at an average of 16.35 and an economy rate of 7.97 at the death. His consistency in these phases sets him apart from peers.
Narine's economy rate has consistently outperformed other spinners in the same matches. From 2012 to 2014, his economy rate was an outstanding 5.78, compared to 7.26 for other spinners in those games, a difference of 1.48 runs per over. Between 2015 and 2022, the gap narrowed but still favored Narine by 1.13 runs per over. Since the Impact Player era began, his economy rate remains over one run better than other spinners in the matches he participates in.
Over his 15-year IPL career, Narine has bowled to some of the best T20 batters and held his own. He has dismissed Rohit Sharma eight times in 137 deliveries while conceding just 145 runs. Shane Watson managed a strike rate of one run per ball, scoring 33 runs while being dismissed five times. AB de Villiers averages only 13.25 against Narine, scoring 53 runs in 39 balls across four dismissals, while Virat Kohli has barely managed a run a ball, scoring 136 from 129 balls with four dismissals.
Narine has stifled some of the biggest names in T20 cricket. Out of 24 batters who have faced at least 50 deliveries from him, ten have failed to score even a run per ball. This list includes Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell, Quinton de Kock, Sanju Samson, and notably MS Dhoni, whose strike rate of 51.94 is the lowest among batters facing 50-plus balls from any bowler in IPL history. Only Heinrich Klaasen and David Warner have scored at a strike rate above 140 against Narine after facing 50-plus deliveries—Klaasen with 92 from 53 balls (170.37) and Warner with 195 from 123 balls (158.53).