Sunil Narine (Source: AFP)
In the 15th match of the IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a narrow three-wicket defeat against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens on April 9. The match went down to the final ball, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Despite the defeat for KKR, it was a memorable night for veteran spinner Sunil Narine, who achieved a historic milestone in India.
KKR middle order under pressure vs LSG
Talking about the match, KKR were asked to bat first by LSG captain Rishabh Pant and the team got off to a solid start. Ajinkya Rahane looked in fine touch, scoring 41 runs off just 24 balls, while young Angkrish Raguvanshi impressed with a quick 45 off 33 balls.
However, KKR lost their way in the middle overs. The quick dismissals of Rahane and Raguvanshi shifted the momentum, and the innings slowed down.
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At this crucial stage, Cameron Green and Rovman Powell stepped up with a valuable partnership. The pair added 70 runs and stabilised the innings after the collapse.
Their composed batting in the death overs helped KKR reach a competitive total of 181/4 in 20 overs. Cameron Green remained unbeaten on 39 off 24 balls, while Rovman Powell scored an unbeaten 32 off 24 balls.
Mukul Choudhary's heroics for LSG
LSG started their chase positively with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram providing a steady opening. But KKR quickly bounced back when Vaibhav Arora dismissed both openers in the same over, putting pressure back on LSG.
KKR's bowlers, especially the spinners, controlled the middle overs well. That was when Mukul Choudhary turned the match on its head. The young batter played a fearless innings, attacking the bowlers with confidence.
Mukul Choudhary scored a brilliant unbeaten 54 off just 27 balls and guided his team to victory on the last ball of the match. His performance proved to be the match-winning effort for LSG, sealing a thrilling three-wicket win.
Sunil Narine scripts massive record in India
Sunil Narine quietly created history, the experienced spinner bowled a spell of 1/13 in his four overs in the KKR vs LSG match. His only wicket came on the final ball of his spell when he dismissed Mohammed Shami, who was caught near the boundary by Anukul Roy.
This wicket helped Narine reach the landmark of 200 T20 wickets in India, making him the first overseas bowler to achieve this feat. He reached the milestone in his 183rd T20 match in India.
With this record, Sunil Narine moved ahead of great bowlers like Dwayne Bravo, who has 190 wickets, and Rashid Khan, who has 188 wickets in T20s in India.
Taking a look at the stats of Sunil Narine for KKR, the star player has played 192 matches for the franchise and has bagged 194 wickets at an economy rate of 6.81. With the bat, the star player has made 1792 runs at an average of 17.57 and a strike-rate of 167.01.
Most Wickets for foreign bowlers in T20s in India
- 200* - Sunil Narine
- 190 - Dwayne Bravo
- 188 - Rashid Khan
It is important to mention that KKR has had a difficult time in IPL 2026 so far. The team, under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, has lost all the matches it has played so far (3 wins in 4 matches), and KKR’s one match against the Punjab Kings was abandoned due to rain.
KKR will next face Chennai Super Kings on April 14, 2026, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
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