# Sunil Narine
**Sunil Narine** (Sunil Philip Narine, born 1988) is a Trinidadian cricketer who plays as an all-rounder for the [West Indies](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-indies) in limited-overs formats until his international retirement in 2023, and for the [Kolkata Knight Riders](https://www.edgepedia.org/kolkata-knight-riders) in the [Indian Premier League](https://www.edgepedia.org/indian-premier-league), where he is known as a mystery spinner and explosive opening batter.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) • [3](https://indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/ICWNovember22-2023.pdf) He bats left-handed and bowls right-arm off-break (finger-spin delivery turning from off side to leg side) with a repertoire of variations.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) |
| Role | All-rounder; left-handed batter, right-arm off-break (mystery spin) bowler[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) |
| International debuts | ODI 5 December 2011 vs India, Ahmedabad; T20I 27 March 2012 vs Australia, St Lucia; Test 7 June 2012 vs England, Birmingham[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) |
| International career | 122 matches for the West Indies, 2011 to 2019, with 165 international wickets; retired from international cricket in November 2023[3](https://indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/ICWNovember22-2023.pdf) • [4](https://www.shankarbankingacademy.com/assets/home/media/general/doc/BANKING_%E2%80%93_CURRENT_AFFAIRS_COMPILATION_%E2%80%93_NOVEMBER-2023.pdf) |
| IPL career | 202 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, 1,820 runs at a strike rate of 165.30 and 207 wickets at an economy of 6.79[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) |
| Titles | KKR IPL titles in 2012, 2014, and 2024; West Indies T20 World Cup 2012[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) |
| Honors | 2012 ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year; IPL Most Valuable Player in 2012 and 2024[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) |
## Early life and rise
Narine was born in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, and first attracted the selectors when he took all 10 wickets in a trial match, earning a call-up to the Trinidad & Tobago squad in January 2009.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) According to an ESPN profile, Narine claimed all ten wickets in the 2008 trial match used to choose Trinidad's side, dismissing West Indies opener Lendl Simmons among them; the same profile notes that as a boy he played "windball" cricket with a soft ball, squeezing it as he delivered it to generate spin.[6](https://www.espn.in/cricket/story/_/id/22293484/sunil-narine) Coaches including Bernard Julien, Sammy Guillen, and Roland Sampath played significant roles in his progress.[6](https://www.espn.in/cricket/story/_/id/22293484/sunil-narine)
His breakthrough came in the now-defunct [Champions League Twenty20](https://www.edgepedia.org/champions-league-twenty20) in 2011, where playing for [Trinidad and Tobago](https://www.edgepedia.org/trinidad-and-tobago) he took 10 wickets in six matches at an economy rate (runs conceded per six-ball over bowled) of 4.37.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for $700,000 in the 2012 IPL auction.[5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/)
## International career
Consistent performances in 2011 earned Narine a maiden West Indies ODI call-up for the series against India, and he made his ODI debut in [Ahmedabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/ahmedabad) on 5 December 2011.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) In 2012 he made his T20I debut against Australia in St Lucia and his Test debut against England in [Birmingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/birmingham).[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine)
**2012 World T20.** Narine played a vital role in the West Indies' title-winning campaign at the [ICC Men's T20 World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/icc-mens-t20-world-cup) in Sri Lanka in 2012, claiming nine wickets in the tournament.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [7](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/west-indies-t20-world-cup-winner-announces-international-retirement) The same year he was named the ICC's Emerging Cricketer of the Year and KKR's Most Valuable Player.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/)
His Test career was short: six matches between 2012 and 2013, in which he took 21 wickets at a bowling average of 40.52 and batted at an average of 8.00.[5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) His flat trajectory, fast pace, and variations suited white-ball cricket more than the longest format.[5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) Across formats he finished with 65 ODIs (92 wickets at an average of 26.46 and an economy of 4.12) and 51 T20Is (52 wickets at an economy of 6.01).[5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/)
## Bowling action controversy
Narine's action, with an unusually low and deceptive arm path that produced his collection of variations, attracted scrutiny from the moment of his international emergence.[8](https://www.cricjudge.com/incident/sunil-narine-bowling-action-reported/) During a group-stage Champions League Twenty20 game versus the Dolphins in September 2014, on-field umpires flagged his bowling action for a second time in as many matches, obliging him to rework his action and pull out of the squad for the 2015 World Cup.[8](https://www.cricjudge.com/incident/sunil-narine-bowling-action-reported/) • [5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) His repertoire included the conventional off-break, the doosra (which spins the opposite way), the carrom ball (flicked with the middle finger), and a quicker delivery, so assessments had to cover all variations; a 2015 independent assessment concluded that all of them exceeded the 15-degree tolerance.[8](https://www.cricjudge.com/incident/sunil-narine-bowling-action-reported/)
The BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee cleared him to bowl on 28 April 2015 but issued a final warning under the IPL Suspected Illegal Bowling Action Policy.[9](https://www.iplt20.com/news/article/bcci-suspect-action-committee-clears-narine) He was suspended from bowling in international cricket in 2015 and released from the ban in April 2016.[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) After the clearance he played only a handful of T20Is and no ODIs for the West Indies, missing the 2016 World T20 to focus on rehabilitation; his remodelled action diluted his wicket-taking threat but his accuracy and high pace kept him economical.[5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) The case is regarded as one of the defining modern cases in the debate over suspect bowling actions, alongside those of [Muttiah Muralitharan](https://www.edgepedia.org/muttiah-muralitharan), Shoaib Akhtar, and [Saeed Ajmal](https://www.edgepedia.org/saeed-ajmal).[8](https://www.cricjudge.com/incident/sunil-narine-bowling-action-reported/)
## International retirement
In November 2023 Narine announced his retirement from international cricket on Instagram, noting that it had been over four years since he last played for the West Indies.[7](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/west-indies-t20-world-cup-winner-announces-international-retirement) He had played 122 matches for the West Indies in a career spanning 2011 to 2019, and had taken 165 international wickets.[3](https://indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/ICWNovember22-2023.pdf) • [4](https://www.shankarbankingacademy.com/assets/home/media/general/doc/BANKING_%E2%80%93_CURRENT_AFFAIRS_COMPILATION_%E2%80%93_NOVEMBER-2023.pdf)
## Franchise career and batting transformation
Narine has been a permanent fixture of the Kolkata Knight Riders, helping them to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014; in 2014 his 21 wickets helped the franchise to another trophy, after he took 24 wickets (the season's most) in 2012.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [10](https://crex.com/player/sunil-narine-5K) • [2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) He has also played in many other T20 leagues, including the [Big Bash League](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-bash-league), Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, Abu Dhabi T10, SA20, International League T20, and [Major League Cricket](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-league-cricket).[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) • [5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/)
**From pinch-hitter to opener.** Narine was never regarded as more than a useful hitter until the Melbourne Renegades, impressed by his batting in the nets, promoted him to open in the 2016/17 Big Bash League; a year later he was opening for KKR, Lahore Qalandars, Dhaka Dynamites, and [Trinbago Knight Riders](https://www.edgepedia.org/trinbago-knight-riders).[5](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/) Opening for Kolkata from 2017, he transformed into a striker who has scored more than 1,000 IPL runs at a strike rate above 160.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) His IPL career totals stand at 202 matches, 1,820 runs at a strike rate of 165.30 with a highest score of 109, and 207 wickets at an economy of 6.79 with best figures of 5/19.[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine)
**2024 title and MVP.** Released before the 2022 auction, Narine was bought back by Kolkata for INR 60 million (INR 6 crore) and retained for 2023.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) In 2024 he delivered a campaign in which he scored 488 runs at a strike rate of 180.74 and took 17 wickets, was named the season's Most Valuable Player, and helped KKR to their third title.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine) • [2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) He was retained for the 2025 season.[1](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine)
## Records
- In December 2025 Narine became the first bowler to claim 600 wickets in T20 cricket.[11](https://player.uacdn.net/slides_pdf/A3TZL0G7BOXJ7D3DBXIK/Current_Affairs__5122025__no_anno.pdf)
- He is the only bowler to bowl a maiden super over in T20 cricket; the IPL record for the fastest half-century is jointly held by [Yashasvi Jaiswal](https://www.edgepedia.org/yashasvi-jaiswal) and Urvil Patel, off 13 balls, while Narine's fastest IPL half-century came off 15 balls.[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine) • [12](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/urvil-patel-joint-fastest-ipl-fifty-13-balls-csk-vs-lsg-10682683/lite/)
- In T20 cricket overall he has 619 wickets at an economy of 6.17 and 4,779 runs at a strike rate of 148.87.[2](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine)
## References
1. [Sunil Narine, Player Profile, ICC](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/11229/sunil-narine)
2. [Sunil Narine, IPL Career Stats, IPL](https://www.ipl.com/player/sunil-narine)
3. [Cricket West Indies tribute to Sunil Narine, Indo-Caribbean World (November 2023)](https://indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/ICWNovember22-2023.pdf)
4. [Current Affairs Compilation, November 2023, Shankar's Banking Academy](https://www.shankarbankingacademy.com/assets/home/media/general/doc/BANKING_%E2%80%93_CURRENT_AFFAIRS_COMPILATION_%E2%80%93_NOVEMBER-2023.pdf)
5. [Sunil Narine stats, news, videos and records, West Indies players](https://www.windiescricket.com/players/sunil-narine-3995/)
6. [The mysterious Mr Narine, ESPN](https://www.espn.in/cricket/story/_/id/22293484/sunil-narine)
7. [West Indies T20 World Cup winner announces international retirement, ICC](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/west-indies-t20-world-cup-winner-announces-international-retirement)
8. [Sunil Narine's Repeated Bowling Action Suspensions, CricJudge](https://www.cricjudge.com/incident/sunil-narine-bowling-action-reported/)
9. [BCCI Suspect Action Committee clears Narine, IPLT20](https://www.iplt20.com/news/article/bcci-suspect-action-committee-clears-narine)
10. [Sunil Narine, CREX player profile](https://crex.com/player/sunil-narine-5K)
11. [Current Affairs, December 5, 2025 (Narine 600 T20 wickets)](https://player.uacdn.net/slides_pdf/A3TZL0G7BOXJ7D3DBXIK/Current_Affairs__5122025__no_anno.pdf)
12. [indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/urvil-patel-joint-fastest-ipl-fifty-13-balls-csk-vs-lsg-10682683/lite/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket people and teams › People › Men's international cricketers › West Indian men's cricketers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license