Sunil Narine IPL Career Stats & Records 2026

Sunil Narine IPL Profile: Stats, Records & Career Highlights 2026

Sunil Narine is an West Indies player who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. (IPL). The date of birth of Sunil Narine is May 26, 1988. As of April 2026, he is 37. Sunil Narine is a Right Arm Off Break from Arima, Trinidad & Tobago. He played his first match of the IPL in 2012. The 37-year-old fast bowler has participated in 195 games in the IPL and earned 198 wickets. His best bowling figures in the IPL are 24/324. The price of Sunil Narine in the IPL is ₹ 12.00 Cr. He played his recent match against the Rajasthan Royals.

Sunil Narine IPL Career Overview – All-time IPL Stats, Records and Achievements

Sunil Narine has been one of the most impressive IPL all-rounders. He has consistently won matches with his mystery spin and aggressive batting style.

Sunil Narine's IPL stats clearly demonstrate his status as one of the league's best bowlers, who has been bowling consistently well over the years. His bowling variations and economical run rate make it difficult for some of the top batsmen in the world to score runs.

However, he is among the greatest wicket-takers in IPL history thanks to his bowling achievements, which include a significant number of Sunil Narine IPL wickets.  

Sunil Narine IPL Debut

Sunil Narine's first IPL team was the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In the 2012 auction, KKR included him in the squad for a huge amount. The team's bowling became very strong with the arrival of Sunil, and he troubled the opponents a lot with his magical spells. His connection with the IPL team has been so deep that he has been a part of this franchise for more than a decade. His mystery spin and brilliant batting have played a big role in helping KKR win the title thrice.

Sunil Narine's first IPL match was played on April 8, 2012, against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. In his first match, Sunil Narine's bowling in the IPL has caught the attention of all cricket lovers. He bowled 4 overs and gave up only 29 runs. Although he did not get any wickets in this match, but his economical bowling proved that he would become one of the most successful bowlers of IPL in the times to come.

Sunil Narine IPL Team History

Sunil Narine's IPL career began in 2012, and since then, he has been one of the most influential players of the league. 

The most special thing about Sunil Narine's IPL teams from 2012 till now is that he has played for only one franchise, i.e., Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR included him in its squad, and since then, he has become an integral part of the team. He played a key role in winning the title in 2012, 2014 and 2024.

His loyalty and dedication to the team have led KKR to retain him before every mega auction. He is now recognised as Kolkata Knight Riders' biggest match-winner and a legendary icon.

IPL Salary and Auction History of Sunil Narine 

Sunil Narine's IPL career journey is known not only for his magical performances on the field but also for his consistency and loyalty to one team (KKR). As per official records, his salary and auction history are given below:

Sunil Narine's IPL history began for $700,000 (approximately ₹3.51 crore) in 2012, when he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After impressing everyone with his mystery spin, his value also steadily increased. In 2014, KKR retained him for ₹9.5 crore, and he remained with the team at that price until 2017. 

Sunil Narine's IPL records some changes during the 2018 mega auction, where his salary dropped slightly to ₹8.50 crore. He continued to play for KKR in the same salary bracket until 2021. In 2022, his fee was reduced to ₹6.00 crore due to the team's retention rules. However, KKR kept him for ₹12.00 crore for the 2025 and 2026 seasons due to his outstanding bat and ball performances in the 2024 season.

Sunil Narine IPL Performance and Career Stats

Sunil Narine's IPL stats reflect his greatness. He has played 189 matches since his debut in 2012. He is one of the few players in IPL history who has demonstrated the ability to turn matches with both bat and ball.

Sunil Narine's IPL batting stats have seen tremendous improvement over the past few years. Initially playing solely as a bowler and now developed into an aggressive KKR opening batsman. His ability to hit big shots from the first ball and destroy the opposition's bowling attack during the powerplay is what makes him a strong batsman.

On the other hand, Sunil Narine's bowling in IPL has been the foundation of his success. He is one of the most difficult bowlers for batsmen to hit in Twenty20 cricket because of his peculiar spin, quick changes, and low economy rate. However, Sunil Narine's IPL stats have been improving steadily every season due to his unique combination of explosive batting and match-winning bowling techniques.

Sunil Narine's total runs in IPL are 1,780 so far. These figures as a pinch-hitter are impressive. He has scored runs at every position from the middle order to opening the batting and given depth and aggression to KKR's batting.

Sunil Narine's IPL runs have increased significantly season after season. His innings of 488 runs in 15 matches of IPL 2024 is one of the most brilliant performances. However, Sunil Narine's IPL runs often come in very few balls, which helps his team's score move quickly. He has become a key pillar of his team's run-scoring.

Sunil Narine's highest score in IPL is 109 runs.  In the IPL 2024, he played this famous innings against the Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He hit balls to every corner of the field during this inning, showing off his batting skills in just 56 balls. However, Sunil Narine's IPL highest score proves that he is not just a backup batsman but a full-fledged all-rounder. 

Sunil Narine's strike rate in the IPL is the most dangerous factor about his batting. His career strike rate of around 166.51 is among the top IPL batsmen. This means he scores over 166 runs per 100 balls. He is one of the most dangerous openers in the T20 format because he has such a high strike rate.

Sunil Narine's IPL total six reached 116 with the use of his wrist magic and power to send the ball into the stands with ease. Sunil Narine's IPL sixes not only entertain the spectators but also disrupt the opposing captain's strategies.

Sunil Narine's sixes in IPL have been the most significant events for several seasons. The most important hit of record 33 sixes in the 2024 season makes him a dangerous batsman in both the death overs and the powerplay. Sunil Narine's longest six in IPL, which went 95 meters, was a great example of how well he timed his hits. It also gave Sunil Narine's IPL century against the Rajasthan Royals.

Sunil Narine's duck in IPL is 17, which is quite high. This reflects the risk-taking style of Sunil, who often plays fearless cricket while opening the innings for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite being dismissed in the early overs, his explosive batting and match-winning bowling have made him one of the IPL's most valuable players.

Sunil Narine's IPL wickets are 192 in 189 matches so far.  He is one of the best wicket-takers in the history of the IPL. He is a great bowler in T20 cricket because his bowling average of 25.63 and economy rate of 6.79 are much better than those of other spinners.

Sunil Narine IPL Milestones and Achievements

Sunil Narine's milestones IPL highlight his impact as a match-winning all-rounder, as his performances have often changed the momentum of games for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Here are Sunil Narine's IPL records and accomplishments that show he is a reliable spinner and a powerful top-order batter who can change the course of a game.

Three-time MVP: Narine is the only player in IPL history to have won the Player of the Tournament (MVP) title three times: in 2012, 2018, and 2024. It makes him the best match-winner in the tournament's history.

200 Wickets for KKR: On April 3, 2025, Narine created history when he became the first player to take 200 wickets (combining IPL and Champions League T20) for a single IPL team. He reached this milestone while playing against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. His impressive bowling performance has taken Sunil Narine's IPL wicket tally to 192, placing him at the top of the list of the league's most successful and economical bowlers.

Unique All-Round Double: He is the only player in IPL history to have scored a hundred runs and taken five wickets in an innings.

Elite 500/15 Club: In a single season, he became the first player in IPL history to score over 500 runs and take over 15 wickets.

Fear against Punjab Kings: He has dominated a team for the longest time and holds the record for most wickets against a single team (Punjab Kings) in the IPL.

KKR's 'Century' King: In 2024, he scored his first IPL century against the Rajasthan Royals. He became only the third player in KKR history to score a century.

IPL Iconic Moments of Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine Century in IPL vs RR, 2024

The IPL 2024 season was nothing short of a dream for him. He was once again given the responsibility of opening the innings this season, and he did something on the historic Eden Gardens grounds that few expected that played against the Rajasthan Royals on April 16, 2024, to register blistering innings of 109 runs, including 13 fours and 6 towering sixes in just 56 balls and Sunil Narine's IPL century listed for the first time.

Fastest Fifty vs RCB, 2017

Sunil Narine played one of the most devastating batting innings in IPL history at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 7, 2017. Opening against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Narine reached his half-century in just 15 balls, equaling the record for the fastest IPL half-century at the time.

Narine smashed 54 runs off just 17 balls in this blistering innings, including six fours and four sixes. He dismantled the RCB bowling attack in the powerplay itself, giving KKR a start that completely turned the match into a one-sided affair. This innings demonstrated to the world that Narine is not only a mystery bowler but also an explosive pinch-hitter.

Career-Best IPL Bowling Figure vs PBKS, 2012

In this match, Sunil Narine's IPL wickets are 5 for just 19 runs against Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) on April 15, 2012, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. His magical mystery spin dismissed legends like Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh, Bipul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, and Harmeet Singh in this match. Although KKR lost the match by 2 runs, he was named Player of the Match for his career-best spell.

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