Former India and Chennai Super Kings batter Ambati Rayudu has described Sunil Narine as the greatest player the IPL has seen. His verdict followed Narine’s influential performance in Kolkata Knight Riders’ comfortable victory over Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday, 16 May.
Decisive spell against Gujarat
Narine again made his mark with the ball, finishing with two wickets for 29 runs from his four overs. One of them was Gujarat captain Shubman Gill, whose dismissal swung the contest firmly towards KKR.
Rayudu’s verdict
Speaking on an ESPNcricinfo show, Rayudu called Narine a genuine match-winner with both bat and ball. He said the IPL has featured many great names, but in his opinion Narine always stands apart from the rest.
Former India coach Sanjay Bangar agreed, describing Narine as one of the IPL’s true legends. Bangar pointed to the spinner’s knack for reinventing himself, even though his bowling action has repeatedly come under scrutiny.
Numbers at 37
Narine recently played his 200th match for KKR and has more than 205 wickets for the franchise. At 37, he remains a major force in IPL 2026, with 13 wickets so far at an economy rate of 6.69, which keeps him among the most economical bowlers in the competition.
