Rayudu hails Narine as ‘best IPL player of all time’

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu believes Sunil Narine is the greatest player in the history of the IPL after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder once again delivered a decisive performance in IPL 2026.

Narine returned figures of 2 for 29 from four overs in KKR’s 29-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) and was named player of the match in his 200th IPL appearance.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Rayudu praised Narine’s long-standing impact in the tournament.

“Proper match-winner with the ball, and with the bat,” Rayudu said. “There have been such great players in the IPL, but this guy always stands out. He’s on the top of the list for me.”

Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar also hailed Narine as “a legend of the league” and placed him among the top five IPL performers of all time.

Bangar highlighted Narine’s longevity and ability to adapt despite scrutiny over his bowling action during different phases of his career.

“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,” Bangar said. “That puts massive doubts in the batter’s mind.”

Narine currently sits third on the all-time IPL wicket-takers list with 205 wickets, behind only Yuzvendra Chahal (230) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (220).

The West Indian spinner is also the most-capped overseas player in IPL history and has represented only KKR since joining the franchise in 2012.

He played a major role in KKR’s title-winning campaigns in 2012, 2014 and 2024. In his debut season with the franchise, Narine claimed 24 wickets at an economy rate of 5.47. He followed that with 21 wickets at 6.35 in 2014, while taking 17 wickets at 6.69 during KKR’s 2024 triumph.

Remarkably, Narine has never recorded an economy rate above eight runs per over in any IPL season. This year, he is conceding runs at 6.79 per over.

Bangar said Narine’s latest spell was another example of the consistency he has maintained throughout his IPL career.

“These are regulation figures for him,” Bangar said. “He has not done anything extraordinary, he has just done what he does on a regular basis.”

Rayudu also explained why Narine remains difficult to attack even in the modern, batter-friendly era of T20 cricket.

“With Sunil Narine, everything he bowls tends to just hold in the surface,” Rayudu said. “His ball never skids onto the bat. As a batsman, it’s always tough to line him up because the ball tends to hold and you lose your shape more often than not.”