Sunil Narine joins Gayle and Watson in unique IPL club
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Sunil Narine hammered his maiden T20 century during the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens. Although Narine scored a fiery 109, RR chased down 224. Besides scoring a century, Narine also took two wickets. As per Cricbuzz, he became the third player to score a century and take wickets in an IPL match. Here is the list.
Narine's all-round show against RR
This was Narine's maiden T20 hundred as he made a fiery 109 off 56 balls. His knock was laced with 13 fours and six maximums. Narine struggled to get going initially. The southpaw, however, later broke free and enhanced the scoring rate. The mystery spinner later claimed key wickets of Dhruv Jurel and Rovman Powell to finish with 2/30 in four overs.
When Gayle floored KXIP, 2011
Chris Gayle happens to be the only player to score a century and claim a three-fer in the same IPL game. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he slammed a sensational 49-ball 107 before claiming 3/21 in four overs against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the 2011 match in Bengaluru. His all-round efforts meant KXIP were restricted to 120/9 while chasing 206.
The Gayle storm against PWI, 2013
RCB's match against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in IPL 2013 saw Gayle slam the highest individual score in T20 history. He unleashed absolute mayhem and scored a jaw-dropping 66-ball 175* (13 fours, 17 sixes). With his off-spin, he later claimed 2/5 in a solitary over as RCB recorded a massive 130-run win in Bengaluru.
Shane Watson's brilliant show against KKR, 2015
Australia's Shane Watson was at his all-round best in the 2015 IPL game against KKR at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium. The RR opener made a brilliant 104* off 59 balls as the Royals posted 199/6 in their 20 overs. The pacer later claimed the key wickets of Yusuf Pathan and Piyush Chawla to finish with 2/38 in four overs. RR registered a nine-run triumph.
When Watson dismantled his former team, 2018
Like Gayle, Watson also features in this list twice. The 2018 season saw Watson score a ton against his former team, RR, while playing for Chennai Super Kings. The Australian put up a batting exhibition in Pune as he hammered a sensational 106 off 57 balls. He later bowled three overs and returned with 1/13. Watson's all-round brilliance powered CSK to a 64-run victory.
