Sunil Narine with the KKR team [Source: AFP and Screengrabs]When it comes to franchise loyalty, Sunil Narine and the Kolkata Knight Riders go hand in hand. While the Caribbean T20 megastar has inspired youngsters to pursue franchise cricket, it is also true that Narine’s 14-year service to the franchise is among the rarest in the game. Franchise cricket is all about money. Wherever there is money, players are drawn to it. Loyalty is now a thing of the past, but Sunil Narine managed to keep things old-school as he became the first player to scalp 200 wickets while playing for the same franchise. Sunil Narine, The Epitome Of Loyalty For KKRAs of now, Narine boasts 219 wickets for KKR, followed by retired fellow Caribbean Andre Russell’s 124-wicket grab for the franchise. He now also holds the record for the most wickets by an overseas player in the IPL and is continuing to build his legacy from there. First bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2012 auction for 6.6 crore, Narine has been one of the most loyal players of the franchise, through its thick and thin. Also Read- Watch- Rovman Powell Puts His Life At Risk To Pull Off A Worldie CatchFans Praise Narine's LoyaltyIn the May 3 KKR vs SRH match at Uppal, Narine managed to take 2 wickets from his 4 overs while giving away 31 runs. His scalp was the important Ishan Kishan and an aggravated Salil Arora. With the two scalps, he broke multiple milestones by crossing the 200-wicket mark. The internet praised the Caribbean all-rounder's loyalty and showered him with praise for his milestone. Let’s take a look at how the fans reacted to Sunil Narine’s achievement:Suresh N @TheDugoutStats @mufaddal_vohra Sunil Narine — 200 IPL wickets. First overseas bowler. First to do it for a single franchise. The most loyal mystery in cricket history. 💜🐐 Sumit Singh @sumitrajput2812 @t20tracker There is no knight riders team if Narine isn't in it. Man played for kkr for justt 6cr each (2022-2024). A proper team man and loyal knight riders. He is going no where ever. S@I R@M (Ø,G) ❏ (🧙♂️,🧙♂️) 🍊,💊⛺ @SaiRam_Jayker @jaiswal_00 I am CSK fan but put Narine in GOAT section, he is loyal to KKR since indus vally civilization. he is also GOAT Shreyash Gulhane @Prem19052000 When Sunil Narine retires from KKR, he deserves a ₹100 Cr tribute for everything he’s done for the team. Match-winner, game-changer, loyal legend. If not, franchises don’t deserve players like him. #KKR #Narine Rain ☀️ @Satto_Bybit @iamswapnilvats Let narine lead the the team for remaining matches and most probably all of our problems would be sorted..narine is most experienced loyal knight. Divaaa @jethafanacc If your partner is not as loyal as sunil narine is for KKR, don’t get into relationship😭 Apr 15, 2026, 8:28 AM KolkataKnightRiders @KKRiders Just poetic how Narine reached 200 TATA IPL scalps 🤗💜 May 3, 2026, 5:03 PM cricket_updates @Abhishek850977 200 and still unplayable 🧙♂️💜 Sunil Narine adds another chapter to his legacy with wicket #200 — and it came with pure magic 🫡🔥 #KhelBindaas | #SRHvKKR | May 3, 2026, 5:40 PM Johns. @CricCrazyJohns HISTORY BY SUNIL NARINE 🐐 - He becomes the first bowler to complete 200 wickets for a single franchise in IPL. The GOAT of Kolkata Knight Riders. May 3, 2026, 4:48 PM Gagan🇮🇳 @1no_aalsi_ Sunil Narine 😎 May 3, 2026, 5:05 PM Sunil Narine For KKR In IPL 2026Besides being a crafty mystery spinner for his team, Narine has also been a talented batting firepower for the team who managed to fire in all positions- from the opening slot to the lower order blitz. While he hasn't been at his very best with the bat this season, his bowling mysteries continue. Sunil Narine has scalped 9 wickets in 8 matches and, most importantly, restricted run flow with a very low economy rate of 6.81. The strike rate too is impressive at 20.00. His only disappointing bowling performance came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, when KKR faced them on April 2. He gave away 39 runs without bagging a wicket.Also Read- List Of Spinners With Most Wickets In IPLNarine Continues To Slay In Purple And GoldIf taken a deep dive, Narine's 2025 form wasn’t super impressive either, yet he manages to be one of the most vital cvogs for the team. In IPL 2025, Narine managed to bag only 12 wickets from 12 appearances, with an economy rate of 7.80. Nevertheless, this adds to his consistency. As Narine continues to be part of the Knight army at 37 years old, although he has drawn curtains on his international career, the Men in Purple would like him to see many more years in the same jersey, as he still stands out as the epitome of loyalty in franchise cricket. For the unaware, Sunil Narine has also been a vital part of the Trinbago Knight Riders, LA Knight Riders, and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the CPL, MLC, and ILT20, further strengthening his bond with the franchise.Follow SRH vs KKR Live Updates for exclusive IPL 2026 live scorecard
