The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has been exciting. There have been low scoring matches and high scoring thrillers too, from brilliant centuries to super. The 19th edition has seen some of the best moments of the tournament so far. Virat Kohli has been in sensational form this season and is looking to win the Orange Cap this season.
During IPL 2026, who earned the title of ‘King’ for his heroic acts in the game of cricket, now has another player fighting for the same nickname. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) veteran spinner Sunil Narine was named the new king of the tournament by their CEO Venky Mysore. The veteran spinner has been excellent over the years for the Knights.
Sunil Narine ‘the GOAT’ of KKR?
After taking 200 IPL wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sunil Narine became the first foreign star in the cash-rich league to achieve this feat, and also the first player to do so for a single franchise. KKR CEO hailed Sunil Narine as the new king of IPL. Narine achieved the feat after taking the wicket of Salil Arora in the match.
Riding on Narine’s excellent run of 2/31 in his four overs, KKR won their third consecutive tournament against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 7 wickets. During the post-match presentation, Mysore praised Narine as the new king and presented him with a special gift.
I’ve never seen that before – Venky Mysore
“This is the first time I have seen him; I just checked with the king. This is the first time I have seen him opening the bowling and of course his powerplay bowling. We have seen him do all kinds of things,” said Venky Mysore during the post-match presentation.
“But today, when he had the ball in his hand, I said, This is the first time for me. I have never seen that before, but two in a row, and they set the tone beautifully there. But it was amazing, the whole bowling unit, so I thought today, with 200 wickets, we have to give King the game changer,” Mysore added in the dressing room.
Sunil Narine and Virat Kohli two greats of the IPL
Sunil Narine and Virat Kohli are two of the veterans of the game and the only two cricketers to have played for a single franchise since coming to the IPL. The two experienced campaigners have been excellent for their respective franchises. Kohli, who is the tournament’s leading run-getter (9,040*) and defending champion with RCB.
On the other hand, Narine made his IPL debut in 2012 for KKR and has been regularly taking wickets for the franchise, and has been a match-winner for them since their inception. He is the only cricketer to have won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times in the IPL. The West Indies all-rounder won in 2012, 2018 and 2024.
Narine has 201 wickets in 126 innings. He is the third leading wicket-taker in IPL history. He also won the IPL three times with the Knights in 2012, 2014 and 2024. The 37-year-old all-rounder will look to continue picking wickets and delivering match-winning performances for KKR.
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