In a match filled with twists, Sunil Narine emerged as the unlikely hero, not just with the ball, but with calm leadership under pressure. The veteran all-rounder took over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captaincy mid-match following Ajinkya Rahane’s injury and steered the side to a remarkable 14-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) in a high-stakes IPL encounter on Tuesday.
The shift in leadership occurred almost unnoticed. It was during the first ball of the 12th over in DC’s chase when Rahane, fielding at cover, injured his hand attempting to stop a fierce drive from Faf du Plessis. He immediately walked off the field, his hand heavily strapped, and KKR were suddenly without their captain. Meanwhile, Andre Russell had just overstepped, making the next delivery a free hit, but with du Plessis off strike, KKR were allowed to adjust their field.
Amidst the chaos, Narine quietly stepped up as stand-in captain. The 36-year-old, who has been with the franchise for 15 years, didn’t need to make a speech. His actions and decisions on the field spoke volumes.
With DC cruising at 130/3 after 13 overs, needing just 75 from 42 balls, the match was slipping out of KKR’s grasp. Axar Patel (37*) and du Plessis (59*) were anchoring the innings well, looking set to take their side home. That’s when Narine made a pivotal call—he brought back Varun Chakaravarthy, despite the leg-spinner having gone wicketless for 22 runs in his first two overs.
It was a decision born out of cricketing instinct and deep familiarity with match situations. Chakaravarthy responded well, conceding just nine runs in the 13th over and applying some pressure. Then came the defining moment.
Narine brought himself into the attack from the other end in the 14th over. Axar, trying to immediately counter the move, launched a six off the first delivery. But Narine adjusted his angle and length, inducing a miscued shot from the DC captain. Harshit Rana completed a sharp catch at extra cover. It was the fourth time Narine had dismissed Axar in the IPL, and it signaled the beginning of a dramatic collapse.
On the final ball of the same over, Narine castled Tristan Stubbs with a beautiful off-spinner that beat the bat completely. In one over, Narine gave away just eight runs and took two wickets, turning the match on its head. KKR’s win probability jumped from 45% to 72% after that game-changing over.
With momentum on their side, Narine made another bold call—he decided to finish his spell and kept one Chakaravarthy over in reserve. That decision proved equally fruitful. In the 16th over, Narine dismissed the well-set du Plessis on the very first ball, sealing what would be a match-winning contribution. He conceded only two runs in that over and finished with sensational figures of 3 for 29.
Chakaravarthy returned in the 18th over and wrapped up the remaining hopes of a DC comeback, taking two quick wickets and securing KKR’s 14-run win, keeping them firmly in the hunt for the playoffs.
Andre Russell: “Narine Is Always a Leader”
After the game, Andre Russell hailed Narine’s leadership, especially his decision to bring himself into the attack at the right moment.
“Bringing himself back was a masterstroke,” Russell said. “He got big wickets in that over and that’s when we really started believing. He may not say much, but on the field, Narine is a true leader. He’s grown more vocal in recent years and clearly enjoys taking responsibility.”
Narine, as always, was modest in his assessment:
“There are matches where you start well and struggle later, and others where you don’t begin well but finish strong. I still back myself to deliver when the team needs me.”
Ajinkya Rahane, who returned with his hand heavily strapped, downplayed the severity of his injury.
“Not bad. I’ll be fine,” he said, confident that the team was in safe hands with experienced match-winners like Narine stepping up.
For KKR, it was more than just a win—it was a reminder of the depth and leadership within their ranks, and of the silent but formidable force that is Sunil Narine.
