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Sunil Narine added another huge achievement to his legendary Indian Premier League (IPL) career on Saturday (May 16). The mystery spinner became the first overseas player to complete 200 matches in IPL history during Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) thrilling win over Gujarat Titans (GT) at Eden Gardens.
The special night became even better for Narine because he helped Kolkata Knight Riders to win the crucial IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans on Saturday at Eden Gardens.
Sunil Narine is the best IPL player of all time: Ambati Rayudu
The former West Indies all-rounder picked up 2 wickets for 29 runs and played a key role in Kolkata’s 29-run victory over the Gujarat Titans. He was also named Player of the Match in his historic 200th IPL game.
After KKR managed to keep their IPL 2026 playoff dream alive, former India batter Ambati Rayudu made a big statement on Sunil Narine. He called Narine the greatest IPL player ever. Rayudu praised him for winning matches regularly for KKR with both bat and ball for many years.
Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo's TimeOut show: “Sunil Narine is the best IPL player of all time. Proper match-winner with the ball, [and] with the bat. 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.”
Sanjay Bangar calls Sunil Narine a true IPL legend
Meanwhile, former Indian coach Sanjay Bangar also praised Narine and called him one of the true legends of the IPL because of his long success and ability to keep improving every season. The cricket pundit has pointed out that even after so many years, Narine is still winning matches for KKR and proving why he remains one of the most valuable players in IPL history.
Sanjay Bangar said during the same discussion: “Some great names have plied their trade in this league, but yes, longevity is a factor. He had had to also 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. And that puts massive doubts in the batter's mind. I think some of those qualities make him a legend of the league.”
Sunil Narine becomes KKR’s biggest legend with incredible consistency
Narine has been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2012 and went on to become one of the biggest reasons behind the team’s success in the IPL. The mystery spinner played an important role in all three of their IPL title-winning campaigns in 2012, 2014 and 2024.
With 205 wickets to his name in IPL, Narine is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament's history, behind only Yuzvendra Chahal with 230 wickets and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 220 wickets.
One of the most amazing things about Narine’s IPL career is his consistency. Even in this batting-friendly era, he has never gone for more than eight runs per over in any IPL season.
