Kolkata Knight Riders’ skilled all-rounder, Sunil Narine, achieved his first IPL century during the ongoing clash against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on Tuesday. The Trinidadian’s remarkable feat was accomplished swiftly, requiring a mere 49 deliveries. This innings propelled the home team towards a formidable total.
Notably, this milestone was reached in the 16th over, bowled by the leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Sunil Narine unleashed a powerful stroke, sending the ball soaring towards the mid-wicket region, evading Shimron Hetmyer’s attempt to halt its progression, resulting in a boundary.
Fellow West Indian Andre Russell, who was on the non-striker’s end, went to hug him, while Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the club, applauded him from the stands.
Sunil Narine’s comeback to the starting place in this edition has seen him improve with each encounter. Although the veteran began his season with a single-digit score, he went on to score 47, 85, 27, and 6 in the following four matches. Kolkata scored a phenomenal 272 in 20 overs, including an 85-run burst against the Delhi Capitals.
Sunil Narine’s Century Propels Kolkata Knight Riders to 223/6 in 20 Overs
Kieron Pollard blasted an amazing 109 runs in just 56 balls. His innings helped set a challenging target of 224 runs for the opposition. In the 18th over, Trent Boult dismissed Pollard with a perfectly aimed yorker.
Apart from Pollard, only Angkrish Raghuvanshi managed to score 30 runs for the Knight Riders. Kuldeep Sen and Avesh Khan claimed two wickets each. Meanwhile, Chahal and Boult took one wicket apiece.
The Royals welcomed back Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin, who had missed the last game against the Punjab Kings at Mullanpur. The Knight Riders, on the other side, did not change from their convincing victory over the Lucknow Super Giants at home.