Ambati Rayudu praised Sunil Narine, labeling him as the best player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Narine’s exceptional performance, with figures of 2/29, led Kolkata Knight Riders to a 29-run victory over Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, earning him the Player of the Match award on his 200th IPL appearance. Rayudu, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, highlighted Narine’s consistency and match-winning abilities with both bat and ball, asserting him as the greatest player the tournament has witnessed.
Narine, renowned for his impactful career, currently ranks as the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 205 wickets, trailing only Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Since joining KKR in 2012, Narine has played a pivotal role in all three of Kolkata’s IPL title victories, showcasing his prowess as a bowler with remarkable economy rates. Notably, Narine has never conceded more than eight runs per over in a single IPL season, establishing himself as one of the league’s most economical bowlers despite the dominance of batters in the modern era.
Rayudu further elaborated on Narine’s bowling prowess, emphasizing the unique challenge he poses to batsmen compared to other leading T20 spinners. Rayudu highlighted the difficulty in facing Narine due to his ability to make the ball hold on the surface, preventing it from skidding onto the bat, which often disrupts a batsman’s rhythm and shape during the game.
