Sunil Narine becomes overseas player with most IPL appearances: Stats
What's the story
Star West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine has unlocked another achievement. He now has the most appearances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) among overseas players. Narine attained the feat in Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL 2026 opener against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. The mystery spinner surpassed his compatriot Kieron Pollard, who played 189 matches for MI. Here are the key stats.
Milestone
Narine tops this list
According to Cricbuzz, Narine is the overseas player with the most IPL caps, surpassing Pollard. AB de Villiers and David Warner are next on the list with 184 appearances each. And Dwayne Bravo played 161 IPL games. In the early 2010s, Narine emerged as a meticulous mystery spinner with an armory of variations. He has powered KKR to three IPL titles.
Career
A look at his stellar career
In a stellar IPL career, Narine went on to become the highest wicket-taker among overseas players. Across 190 matches, the mystery spinner has 192 wickets at an average of under 26. His tally includes 7 four-wicket hauls and a fifer. Narine also has 1,780 runs with the bat at a staggering strike rate of 160-plus. He also owns a ton and 7 half-centuries.
Information
Double of 400 runs and 15 wickets
In 2024, Narine became only the third player to achieve the double of 400 runs and 15 wickets in an IPL season. He joined Shane Watson and Jacques Kallis on this elite list.
Awards
Three MVP awards
Narine has been adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in three seasons (2012, 2018, and 2024). The spinner took 24 wickets at 13.50 in 2012, including his only fifer. In 2018, he took 17 wickets and scored 357 runs with a strike rate of 189.89. The 2024 season saw Narine take 17 wickets and score 488 runs (SR: 180.74). This included his maiden ton.