Aakash Chopra, the ex-Indian cricketer, has lauded Sunil Narine for his match-deciding all-round performance in Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) IPL 2025 encounter with Delhi Capitals (DC). Chopra went as far as to suggest that the West Indian all-rounder could potentially be regarded as the greatest player in the history of the IPL.
Narine contributed significantly with the bat, scoring 27 runs off 16 balls, as KKR posted a challenging target of 205 runs for DC in Match 48, which took place on Tuesday, April 29, in Delhi. The mystery spinner then produced a brilliant bowling display, claiming 3 wickets for 29 runs from his four overs. He also dismissed KL Rahul with a direct hit, playing a key role in KKR’s 14-run victory.
The former Indian opener praised Narine for his exceptional all-round performance.
“A lamp has a genie. When you rub it, the genie emerges and grants you three wishes. So, the genie in this case, Sunil Narine, came out. The first wish was for him to contribute with the bat in the powerplay, and he made it happen. The second wish was for him to take three wickets because Varun (Chakaravarthy) wasn’t in great form, and they needed wickets,” Chopra explained.
“He took three key wickets, including the scalps of Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs. Their final wish was to run out KL Rahul with a direct hit, and once again, he delivered. He did it all by himself. What a player. He might be the greatest cricketer in IPL history. His performances are simply unreal, and he’s still going strong,” he added.
Narine’s impact was crucial as he provided KKR with a quick start, partnering with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (26 off 12) to put up 48 runs for the first wicket in just three overs. Narine later made an impact with the ball, dismissing key players.