Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, May 3: Veteran Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine scripted history on Sunday by becoming the first non-Indian bowler to claim 200 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL), achieving the milestone against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

The landmark moment came on the first ball of the 16th over when Narine dismissed middle-order batter Salil Arora with a trademark carrom ball. The left-hander completely misjudged the delivery, edging it onto his stumps.

Narine, a stalwart of Kolkata Knight Riders, had earlier taken on SRH’s aggressive opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head during the powerplay. He struck a crucial blow on the final delivery of his spell by removing vice-captain Ishan Kishan, who mistimed an attempted big hit and was caught after stepping out.

With this feat, Narine joins an elite list, becoming only the third bowler in IPL history after Yuzvendra Chahal (228 wickets) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (215 wickets) to reach the 200-wicket mark. He achieved the milestone with an impressive average of just over 25 and a remarkable economy rate of 6.79 — the best among the league’s top wicket-takers.

Notably, all of Narine’s wickets have come for KKR across a 14-year career, underlining his enduring value to the franchise. Even this season, he has maintained his impact, picking up seven wickets at an economy of 6.73 despite the high-scoring nature of modern T20 cricket.

Narine’s twin strikes played a key role in restricting SRH to 165 in the first innings. With the return of Finn Allen and the inclusion of experienced Manish Pandey in the middle order, KKR appeared well-placed to chase down the target comfortably.