IPL Play of the Day: Sunil Narine weaves his magic again to keep Kolkata afloat

How many times have we seen Sunil Narine weave a web around opposition batters and help Kolkata Knight Riders emerge victorious? How often has he stepped up exactly when KKR needed him the most? There’s a reason the franchise has continued to retain him year after year. The relationship has gone far beyond the IPL, with Narine also representing several other Knight Riders franchises across global T20 leagues. KKR vs MI: Highlights | Scorecard Read Full Story On Wednesday, Narine once again showed why he is still regarded as one of the greatest T20 spinners despite being well past his prime. He returned exceptional figures of 4-0-13-1 and completely strangled the Mumbai Indians batting line-up as KKR sealed a crucial four-wicket win. Had Narine not applied the brakes in the middle overs, Kolkata could easily have ended up chasing something around 165, a target that would have been far from straightforward on a Kolkata surface that was not exactly a batting paradise. Yes, the Knight Riders had already reduced Mumbai to 46 for four inside the powerplay, but Narine still had the responsibility of ensuring the opposition did not claw their way back into the contest. With his trademark accuracy, subtle variations and relentless control, he never allowed the batters to break free or shift the momentum back in Mumbai’s favour. HOW NARINE TIED DOWN MUMBAI No matter how batting-friendly a T20 pitch may be, conceding just one boundary in a four-over spell says plenty about the control and aura a bowler possesses. Sunil Narine once again showed why batters still approach him with caution, if not fear, as he bowled 16 dot balls and never allowed Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya or Corbin Bosch to dominate him. Narine strangled the MI innings during the middle overs on a pitch offering grip and turn. Using all his experience, the veteran spinner steadily drained the momentum out of the contest and forced the batters into survival mode. Tilak looked uncomfortable from the moment Narine entered the attack. The left-hander struggled to read both the off-break and the deceptive carrom ball, often getting rooted to the crease while trying to pick the variation from Narine’s hand. Even after Tilak managed to break free with a slog sweep for six, Narine quickly tightened his lines again and denied him any rhythm. Hardik also found it difficult to break the shackles. Narine repeatedly cramped him for room while varying his pace cleverly. One sharp carrom ball straightened past Hardik’s outside edge, showing how difficult Narine remained to read. The breakthrough eventually came when Narine bowled a beautiful off-break that spun through Hardik’s defence and rattled the stumps. Bosch, too, found no breathing space. Narine fired in a series of suffocating dot balls, beating him in defence and on the sweep. By the end of his spell, Narine had completely shut the door on Mumbai’s hopes of a late flourish. Sunil Narine got the big wicket of Hardik Pandya in Kolkata (PTI Photo) JOB NOT DONE YET Narine has been nothing short of sensational for the Knight Riders this season. But his job is far from finished. Riding on the back of performances like these, KKR have won six of their last seven matches to keep their play-off hopes flickering after a disastrous start to the campaign. Yet, one final hurdle now stands between them and a place in the top four. The Knight Riders will take on Delhi Capitals in a must-win clash on May 24 at the Eden Gardens. By the time KKR walk onto the field, they will already know exactly what is at stake. If Rajasthan Royals win the first game of Sunday’s double-header, Kolkata’s campaign will be over and they will only be playing for pride. But if Rajasthan slip up, the door could swing open once again. And if there is one man KKR would trust in such a moment, it is Narine. The veteran spinner has historically enjoyed bowling against Delhi, picking up 31 wickets against them at an impressive economy rate of 6.64. The Capitals, too, have struggled for rhythm this season, which explains why they are also fighting to stay alive in the playoff race. With conditions at Eden Gardens expected to be similar to the surface against Mumbai, Narine could once again become the biggest factor in the contest. Do not be surprised if Narine spins another web around the Delhi batters and drags KKR into the playoffs, a script he has authored countless times before. IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score Ends