Sunil Narine registers maiden IPL ton, completes 4,000 T20 runs
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Sunil Narine has brought up his maiden century in the T20 format. He accomplished the milestone against Rajasthan Royals in Match 31 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens. Narine ended up scoring a fiery 109 off 56 balls (13 fours, 6 sixes). He also completed 4,000 T20 runs with this hundred.
Another fine hand from Narine
Narine, who lost his opening partner Philip Salt (10) cheaply, struggled to get going initially. The southpaw, however, later broke free and enhanced the scoring rate. He added 85 runs with Angkrish Raghuvanshi (30) for the second wicket. He continued to bat well and touched the three-figure mark. Narine also formed brief partnerships with Shreyas Iyer and Andre Russell.
4,000 runs in T20 cricket
Playing his 504th T20 match, Narine has raced to 4,008 runs, averaging around 15. He owns 15 half-centuries besides this ton. His strike rate is over 147. 1,322 of his run have come in 168 IPL matches (SR: 164.84). This was his seventh 50-plus score in the competition. Narine has tallied 276 runs in IPL 2024 at a strike rate of 187.76.
Records scripted by Narine
Narine became KKR's third centurion after Brendon McCullum (158* versus RCB, 2008) and Venkatesh Iyer (104 vs MI, 2023). He became the third player after Rohit Sharma and Shane Watson to record a hat-trick and a century in the IPL. The veteran became the second all-rounder after his compatriot Dwayne Bravo to accomplish the double of 4,000 runs and 500 wickets in T20 cricket.
Most wickets for KKR
With 168 wickets at an economy of 6.73, Narine is also KKR's leading wicket-taker in IPL. Overall, he owns 540 T20 scalps at an economy of 6.11. He has claimed five wickets this season (ER: 6.75). These stats make him one of the finest all-rounders in the history of the format. Notably, the West Indies star is retired from T20Is.
KKR compile a massive total
Riding on Narine's ton, KKR compiled a massive 223/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Raghuvanshi (30) and Rinku Singh (20* off 9 balls) were the only other KKR batters to score over 15. Avesh Khan (2/35) was the pick of the RR bowlers. Veteran spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (1/54) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0/49) went for plenty.
