LSG vs KKR: Sunil Narine hits 39-ball 81, goes past 450 for 1st time in IPL career
IPL 2024, LSG vs KKR: Sunil Narine became only the fourth player in the history of Indian Premier League to score more than 450 runs in a season and take 10-plus wickets. Narine hit a 39-ball 81 to take his tally to 461 in 11 matches in 2024 so far.
In Short
- Sunil Narine hit 7 sixes and 6 boundaries for his 39-ball 81 in Lucknow
- Narine has hit 4 fifty-plus scores, including a hundred, in IPL 2024
- Narine is only the 4th man to score 450-plus runs and take 10-plus wickets in a season
Sunil Narine continued his beyond-believable form with the bat in IPL 2024 as he took his tally to 400 runs and above for the first time in his Indian Premier League career. Narine scored 81 off just 39 balls for the Knight Riders against the Super Giants in Lucknow on Sunday. Narine smashed 7 sixes and 6 boundaries in another power-packed display of big-hitting as he set KKR a sensational platform to post 200-plus for the first time at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in the ongoing season.
It was Sunil Narine's fourth fifty-plus score in IPL 2024 as the decision to return to open the batting again with the West Indies all-rounder has worked wonders for the Knight Riders. Narine and Phil Salt gave KKR another flying start as the visiting team scored 61 runs in just 4.1 overs before the England batter departed.
LSG vs KKR: Updates | Scorecard
However, Narine continued the onslaught, overcoming a cautious start. He did not slow down in the middle overs as he thumped the LSG bowlers out of the park with incredible consistency.
Narine got to his fifty in just 27 balls and switched to sixth gear after the milestone. He clubbed Marcus Stoinis for 3 sixes in 4 balls in the 11th over before hammering Ravi Bishnoi into the stands in the next over.
The rub of green went Sunil Narine's way in the 12th over as he was dropped twice. However, LSG were third time lucky as substitute Devdutt Padikkal, who had dropped Narine in the first delivery of the over, held on to one in the final delivery of Ravi Bishnoi's third over.
Sunil Narine has joined an elite list of all-rounders in the IPL history with 450-plus runs and 10-plus wickets in a season.
1. Jackques Kallis - 572 runs and 13 wickets in 16 matches for RCB in 2009
2. Andre Russell - 510 runs and 11 wickets in 14 matches for KKR in 2019
3. Shane Watson - 472 runs and 17 wickets in 15 matches for RR in 2008
4. Sunil Narine - 461 runs and 13 wickets in 11 matches for KKR in 2024*
Sunil Narine has an opportunity to go past Jacques Kallis's tally of 572 runs, considering his form in the IPL and KKR's improved chances of making the playoffs in IPL 2024.
KKR have won 7 out of their first 10 matches and their opening combination of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt has been instrumental to their success in the season.
Narine himself has attributed his success with the bat in the IPL 2024 season to the return of Gautam Gambhir -- KKR's former captain as their mentor of the team. The only time before 2024 Narine scored 300 or more in a season was in 2018.