Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may have had a shaky start to IPL 2025, but their remarkable win against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 11 (Friday) has certainly injected a much-needed boost into their campaign. On a pitch that resembled the conditions of Chepauk, KKR’s spinners, particularly Sunil Narine, delivered a match-winning performance, picking up impressive figures of 3/13.
Narine’s dominance was especially evident when he again dismissed MS Dhoni, adding another chapter to their IPL rivalry. The dismissal, however, was not without controversy, as the ultra-edge suggested a faint spike on the ball. Regardless, KKR’s victory pushed them into the top half of the IPL 2025 standings, placing them second in the points table.
In the post-match press conference, KKR’s wicketkeeper-batter, Quinton de Kock, shed light on what makes Sunil Narine stand out in the IPL. According to de Kock, it’s not just Narine’s mystery spin that makes him a threat, but also the variety he brings to the bowling attack.
Both Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy are mystery spinners, and that variety makes it extremely difficult for the batters to predict what’s coming next,” de Kock explained. “They are always mixing things up, and their accuracy is something they constantly work on. That makes them unpredictable, which is a huge advantage.
While Narine’s spin partner, Chakaravarthy, also had a strong outing with figures of 2/22, including the key scalp of a well-set Vijay Shankar (29 off 21 balls), Narine’s contribution wasn’t just with the ball. After taking charge with the ball, he turned up with the bat, smashing a quickfire 44 off 18 balls. His blitz featured two fours and five sixes, including three massive sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin.
De Kock spoke about Narine’s batting aggression, saying, “He brings an X-factor to the game. Every bowler knows that he will go after the ball from the first delivery. Sunil works hard on his batting and never skips practice, whether it’s mandatory or optional. When his batting comes off, it sets the tone for us and gets us off to a flying start.
In terms of how KKR approaches Narine’s batting, de Kock added, “I usually take the first ball of the innings, and Sunil likes to go from ball one. So, my job is to get him on strike and give him the info he needs. Once he’s set, I focus on keeping the momentum going.
Looking ahead, KKR will be traveling to Chandigarh to face Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 15 (Tuesday), aiming to build on their confidence from the CSK win and continue their climb up the points table.