Sunil Narine's 3 best bowling performances vs MI in IPL history
The high-flying Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will lock horns with the struggling Mumbai Indians (MI) tonight (May 11) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR, sitting pretty at the top of the table, will be aiming to extend their lead and solidify their playoff spot. MI, on the other hand, have already been eliminated from IPL 2024. The Hardik Pandya-led side will be looking to play for pride.
One of the key players to watch out for tonight will be Sunil Narine, the wily spinner who has often cast a spell over the MI batting order. Over the years, Narine has produced some match-winning bowling performances against his arch-rivals, turning the tide in KKR's favor.
The mystery tweaker is the third-highest wicket-taker against MI, having taken 30 scalps at an immaculate economy rate of 6.50.
Ahead of tonight's mega clash, let's revisit three of Sunil Narine's most impactful bowling displays against the Mumbai franchise in the IPL.
#3 3/17 at Eden Gardens, IPL 2013
Sunil Narine was Kolkata Knight Riders' highest wicket-taker in the IPL 2013 season. He took 22 wickets at an exceptional average of 15.91. One of his great bowling spells that season came against MI.
In Match 33, a great display of bowling led MI to restrict KKR to 159 at the Eden Gardens. In reply, Dwayne Smith kicked off MI's run-chase to a fabulous start as he made 62 off 45.
However, other batters struggled against the guile of Narine. The Caribbean, who took three wickets for 17, turned the game around every time he was called upon. He claimed the prized wickets of birthday boy Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Smith and Rohit Sharma.
While Narine was top-class, MI batters kept ticking away off other bowlers. As a result, MI eventually went over the finish line and Narine's spell of 3/17 went in vain.
#2 4/20 in Abu Dhabi, IPL 2014
On a green top surface in Abu Dhabi, which offered a great bounce, Sunil Narine wreaked havoc and ran through the MI batting line-up.
Batting first in the opening game of the IPL 2014, KKR made 163/5, with Jacques Kallis and Manish Pandey scoring 72 and 64, respectively. In reply, MI started decently before Sunil Narine claimed the first wicket in the form of Michael Hussey.
MI were cruising well at 101/2 before Narine came back to haunt. In his second spell, the Caribbean maestro sent back a well-set Ambati Rayudu (48). Runs were hard to come by as Narine claimed the wickets of Corey Anderson and Harbhajan Singh off his last over. During his superb spell, Narine became the then-fastest bowler to take 50 IPL wickets.
#1 4/15 at Wankhede Stadium, IPL 2012
Sunil Narine's best bowling performance certainly came when he single-handedly turned the tide in KKR's favor. Gautam Gambhir's decision to play three spinners at Wankhede did wonders as KKR recorded a famous win over MI in IPL 2012.
Playing his maiden IPL season, Narine took 4 for 15 and won the Player of the Match award. Chasing a low score of 141, MI were cruising at one point. They lost just one wicket and scored 60 runs off the first 10 overs. Then came Narine and he cleaned up Sachin Tendulkar with an absolute peach. It triggered a collapse for MI, who went on to lose their last nine wickets in just a matter of 48 runs.
Narine took the wicket of Harbhajan before killing the game by bagging Rohit Sharma in the 18th over. The wily spinner finished the game as he took the last wicket in the form of RP Singh.