Sunil Narine Joins Elite Club with 400 Runs and 15 Wickets in IPL Season

Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) all-rounder Sunil Narine etched his name in the history books of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday during their clash against Mumbai Indians (MI). Narine became the third cricketer to achieve the remarkable feat of scoring 400 runs and claiming 15 wickets in a single season of the cash-rich league, joining the elite company of Shane Watson and Jacques Kallis.

The match at Eden Gardens was reduced to a 16-over contest due to rain, and Narine played a crucial role in KKR's victory. He dismissed opener Ishan Kishan in his three-over spell, taking his tally to 15 wickets for the season. With 461 runs already under his belt, Narine became the third player to achieve the unique double of 400 runs and 15 wickets in an IPL season.

Watson had achieved this feat for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2008, scoring 472 runs and taking 17 wickets. Kallis had also accomplished the same for KKR in IPL 2012, with 409 runs and 15 wickets.

KKR's victory was largely due to a collective effort from their spinners. Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, and Harshit Rana combined to restrict MI to 139/8 in their 16 overs, despite a valiant effort from Ishan Kishan (40) and Tilak Varma (32).

KKR's top-order batsmen also played their part, with Venkatesh Iyer (42), Nitish Rana (33), and Andre Russell (24) contributing valuable runs. Rinku Singh's quickfire 20 off 12 balls helped KKR reach a competitive total of 157/7.

With this victory, KKR cemented their position at the top of the points table, while MI remained rooted to the bottom. KKR's impressive performance has been built on the all-round contributions of players like Narine, who continue to make significant impacts on the game.

Tags: #IPL2024, #KKR, #MI, #SunilNarine, #400Runs15Wickets