When was the last time Sunil Narine missed a game for KKR before IPL 2025?
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Sunil Narine emerges as a surprise absence for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Wednesday, March 26. The mystery spinner has been ruled out due to illness, and this marks the first time since the 2020 edition that he has missed a match.
Narine was not part of KKR's clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on October 21, 2020. On that occasion, the Caribbean ace was unavailable for selection since he was not a 100 percent fit, as confirmed by then-captain Eoin Morgan.
KKR desperately missed Narine's services with the bat and ball in that particular contest. Batting in the first innings, KKR were restricted to a paltry 84/8 courtesy of Mohammed Siraj's historic spell with the new ball.
In Sunil Narine's absence, the pair of Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi opened the innings, but KKR were reduced to 3/3 in the third over. They never really found any momentum after that, leading to an overall dismal performance with the bat.
KKR tried to stay in the contest with the ball, but the target was hardly imposing for the RCB batters. Varun Chakaravarthy was the sole spinner to bowl in the innings in Sunil Narine's absence and finished with figures of 0-28 off four overs. RCB chased down the target with more than six overs to spare to mark a comfortable victory.
Since then, Narine has played 62 consecutive matches in the IPL, including the entirety of the last four editions. Being one of the first names on the team sheet, Narine has never missed out due to form or combination concerns, which leaves injury or illness as the sole possibilities behind his absence.
Who has replaced Sunil Narine in the KKR playing Xi for the match against RR in IPL 2025
KKR had to turn to their overseas contingent of Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Rovman Powell to replace Sunil Narine for the IPL 2025 clash against RR.
The defending champions opted for the veteran English all-rounder, who will be making his debut for the franchise. He will be paired with Varun Chakaravarthy as the second spinner in the side, and could play a role as yet another left-handed option in the middle-order.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane opted to bowl first after winning the toss. As of now, RR are placed at 9/0 after the first over bowled by Spencer Johnson.