Loading scores…
UAE BullsAll-rounder
Sunil Narine
- Age
- 38y 170d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm off break
- From
- Arima
- Age
- 38y 170d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm off break
- From
- Arima
Sunil Narine, a native of Trinidad, is a mystery spinner whose value in T20 cricket rests heavily on his ability to keep runs down. As a young player he drew more attention with the bat than the ball, but his spin grew into his main weapon once he moved up the levels, particularly in the shortest format. His route into first-class cricket opened in 2009, when a trial match in which he claimed all 10 wickets earned him a debut for Trinidad and Tobago.
Read moreShow less
Strong performances at the Champions League in 2011 brought a first West Indies selection, for an ODI series in India. His stock rose quickly, and in the IPL 2012 auction Kolkata Knight Riders paid USD 700,000 for him, far above his USD 50,000 base price. That season he collected 24 wickets as the franchise won its first title, beginning a lasting partnership with the club. A Test debut against England at Edgbaston followed soon afterwards, and before the year was out he had lifted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with the West Indies.
His international progress was then disrupted by repeated questions over his bowling action. Reported on several occasions, he was barred from bowling in late 2015 when his action was judged illegal. He came back with a modified technique, yet further problems meant he never settled into a long run in the side, and his final West Indies appearance came in 2019.
Franchise cricket remained his stage. In the late 2010s he took on a new role as an aggressive opener in the powerplay, and while the remodelled action took some edge off his bowling, he stayed hard to score against. In 2024 he was central to another KKR IPL triumph, becoming just the second player to pass 450 runs and take more than 15 wickets in one season. He remained important to KKR in IPL 2025, giving quick starts at the top of the order and offering control and wickets in the middle overs, even if that season did not match the peaks of the year before.
