West Indies, Bowling Allrounder
Mystery spinner Sunil Narine is perhaps the first high-profile cricketer to make a career as a T20 specialist slow bowler, armed with a bag of variations – skidders, knuckleballs, carrom balls and more – for every occasion, and a party trick of thrashing quick runs up or down the order with the bat.
| Full Name Sunil Philip Narine | Born May 26, 1988, Arima, Trinidad & Tobago | Age 36y 332d |
| Batting Style Left hand Bat | Bowling Style Right arm Offbreak | Playing Role Bowling Allrounder |
Team
Sunil Narine Player Profile
Background
- Born on May 26, 1988, in Arima, Trinidad & Tobago, Narine is a left-handed batsman and right-arm off-spinner celebrated as a T20 revolutionary for his “mystery spin” arsenal, including skidders, knuckleballs, carrom balls, and floaters .
- Burst onto the scene by taking all 10 wickets in a trial match for Trinidad and Tobago in 2009, earning his domestic debut .
Domestic Career
- Trinidad and Tobago :
- Dominated the 2011 Champions League T20 with 10+ wickets , propelling his team to prominence .
- Evolved from a lower-order hitter to a pinch-hitting opener in T20 leagues, showcasing adaptability .
- Caribbean Premier League (CPL) :
- A consistent performer, though specific stats are not detailed in the provided sources .
International Career
- T20I Stardom :
- 2012 World T20 Champion : Played a decisive role in West Indies’ historic title win, their first global trophy since 1979 .
- Over 50 T20I wickets at an average of 21.25 and economy of 6.02, solidifying his status as a format specialist .
- Action Controversies :
- Endured multiple suspensions (2014, 2015, 2018, 2020) due to suspect bowling actions, requiring biomechanical tweaks at the University of Western Australia .
- Missed the 2016 T20 World Cup but returned post-clearance, proving his resilience .
IPL Career
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Legacy :
- Only player to represent a single IPL franchise (since 2012), earning cult status for his loyalty and impact .
- Architect of KKR’s 2012 and 2014 titles , taking 24 and 21 wickets respectively .
- IPL 2024 Milestone : Became the first player to score 500+ runs and take 15+ wickets in a single season , redefining all-rounder standards .
- Economy Mastery : Maintains a career IPL economy of 6.72 (as of 2025), with 180 wickets in 177 matches .
- Powerplay Dominance : Holds the record for the highest partnership in IPL powerplay (105 runs with Chris Lynn) .
Global T20/T10 Leagues
- Big Bash League (BBL) :
- Opened for Melbourne Renegades in 2017, amassing 502 runs at a 150+ strike rate across five leagues that year .
- Pakistan Super League (PSL) :
- Participated in 2018, though detailed stats are unavailable .
- Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) :
- Leveraged his spin prowess in multiple editions, though specifics are not provided .
- T10 Leagues :
- Adapted seamlessly to the ultra-short format, though no stats are cited .
Key Strengths
- Bowling Versatility : Combines mystery variations with pinpoint accuracy, making him a death-over specialist .
- Batting Utility : Transitioned from a finisher to an explosive opener , capable of shifting momentum .
- Consistency : Over 500 T20 wickets in 460 matches (as of 2024) at a miserly economy of 6.05 .
Legacy & Impact
- T20 Pioneer : Redefined spin bowling with his “carrom ball revolution” , influencing a generation of bowlers .
- All-Rounder Evolution : Proved that spinners could be game-changers with both bat and ball , setting new benchmarks .
- Longevity : Over 400 T20 matches (as of 2024) without losing effectiveness, a testament to his fitness and adaptability .
Trivia :
- Nicknamed “The Mystery Man” for his unorthodox bowling style .
- Holds the unique record of four hat-tricks in T20 cricket (across leagues) .
Sunil Narine Career Stats
Bowling
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 6 | 11 | 1650 | 851 | 21 | 6/91 | 8/223 | 40.52 | 3.09 | 78.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ODIs | 65 | 65 | 3540 | 2435 | 92 | 6/27 | 6/27 | 26.46 | 4.12 | 38.4 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| T20Is | 51 | 49 | 1102 | 1105 | 52 | 4/12 | 4/12 | 21.25 | 6.01 | 21.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| FC | 13 | 25 | 3023 | 1398 | 65 | 8/17 | 13/39 | 21.50 | 2.77 | 46.5 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| List A | 116 | 115 | 6315 | 3783 | 190 | 6/9 | 6/9 | 19.91 | 3.59 | 33.2 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| T20s | 543 | 533 | 12299 | 12594 | 581 | 5/19 | 5/19 | 21.67 | 6.14 | 21.1 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
Batting & Fielding
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 6 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 22* | 8.00 | 92 | 43.47 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| ODIs | 65 | 45 | 12 | 363 | 36 | 11.00 | 441 | 82.31 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
| T20Is | 51 | 23 | 8 | 155 | 30 | 10.33 | 138 | 112.31 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| FC | 13 | 18 | 6 | 213 | 40* | 17.75 | – | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | 10 | 0 |
| List A | 116 | 74 | 20 | 714 | 51 | 13.22 | – | – | 0 | 1 | – | – | 35 | 0 |
| T20s | 543 | 354 | 63 | 4523 | 109 | 15.54 | 3027 | 149.42 | 1 | 17 | 423 | 288 | 118 | 0 |
Sunil Narine T20 Stats
Bowling
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | KKR | 184 | 182 | 4225 | 4761 | 187 | 5/19 | 5/19 | 25.45 | 6.76 | 22.5 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| ILT20 | ADKR | 29 | 29 | 672 | 704 | 19 | 2/20 | 2/20 | 37.05 | 6.28 | 35.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CPL | 2 teams | 113 | 111 | 2611 | 2357 | 123 | 3/6 | 3/6 | 19.16 | 5.41 | 21.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Major League Cricket | LAKR | 11 | 11 | 264 | 277 | 9 | 2/24 | 2/24 | 30.77 | 6.29 | 29.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BPL | 2 teams | 48 | 48 | 1103 | 1032 | 44 | 4/15 | 4/15 | 23.45 | 5.61 | 25.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Men’s 100 | OI-M | 19 | 18 | 345 | 397 | 24 | 3/11 | 3/11 | 16.54 | 6.90 | 14.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitality Blast | SUR | 29 | 28 | 665 | 767 | 34 | 3/12 | 3/12 | 22.55 | 6.92 | 19.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PSL | LQ | 17 | 17 | 396 | 411 | 20 | 3/28 | 3/28 | 20.55 | 6.22 | 19.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BBL | 2 teams | 13 | 13 | 312 | 386 | 14 | 3/27 | 3/27 | 27.57 | 7.42 | 22.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CLT20 | 2 teams | 20 | 20 | 460 | 359 | 39 | 4/9 | 4/9 | 9.20 | 4.68 | 11.7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Batting & Fielding
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | KKR | 184 | 117 | 20 | 1681 | 109 | 17.32 | 1008 | 166.76 | 1 | 7 | 178 | 109 | 34 | 0 |
| ILT20 | ADKR | 29 | 19 | 4 | 149 | 28* | 9.93 | 134 | 111.19 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| CPL | 2 teams | 113 | 82 | 11 | 963 | 79 | 13.56 | 723 | 133.19 | 0 | 3 | 82 | 61 | 27 | 0 |
| Major League Cricket | LAKR | 11 | 11 | 1 | 80 | 28* | 8.00 | 69 | 115.94 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| BPL | 2 teams | 48 | 40 | 4 | 731 | 76 | 20.30 | 472 | 154.87 | 0 | 4 | 76 | 47 | 13 | 0 |
| Men’s 100 | OI-M | 19 | 14 | 4 | 145 | 23 | 14.50 | 107 | 135.51 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Vitality Blast | SUR | 29 | 23 | 4 | 402 | 78* | 21.15 | 249 | 161.44 | 0 | 3 | 35 | 26 | 5 | 0 |
| PSL | LQ | 17 | 15 | 2 | 214 | 28 | 16.46 | 130 | 164.61 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| BBL | 2 teams | 13 | 9 | 3 | 63 | 21 | 10.50 | 47 | 134.04 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| CLT20 | 2 teams | 20 | 6 | 3 | 29 | 11 | 9.66 | 27 | 107.40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
Debut/Last Matches of Sunil Narine
Test Matches
Debut
England vs West Indies at Birmingham – June 07 – 11, 2012
Last
New Zealand vs West Indies at Hamilton – December 19 – 22, 2013
ODI Matches
Debut
India vs West Indies at Ahmedabad – December 05, 2011
Last
Pakistan vs West Indies at Abu Dhabi – October 05, 2016
T20 International Matches
Debut
West Indies vs Australia at Gros Islet – March 27, 2012
Last
West Indies vs India at Providence – August 06, 2019
FC Matches
Debut
Trinidad & T vs Leeward Is at St Augustine – February 13 – 16, 2009
Last
New Zealand vs West Indies at Hamilton – December 19 – 22, 2013
List A Matches
Debut
Trinidad & T vs Comb C&C at Georgetown – October 20, 2011
Last
Leeward Is vs Trinidad & T at Tarouba – November 11, 2023
T20 Matches
Debut
Trinidad & T vs Hampshire at Bridgetown – January 19, 2011
Last
GT vs KKR at Eden Gardens – April 21, 2025
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