IPL 2025: Sunil Narine puts in a 'can do it all' all-round show for KKR to dismantle DC

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) In the busy modern world, there are a lot of videos and blogs comprising tricks from social media influencers on how people could get the a ‘can do it all’ life. In cricket, the ‘can do it all’ role is performed by the dynamic all-rounders.

But on Tuesday evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Sunil Narine put in an all-round show which redefined the ‘can do it all’ catchphrase. The explosive 27 that was central to KKR having a blazing batting powerplay was followed by Narine picking 3-29, including taking three scalps in his last two overs

If that wasn’t enough, then effecting a crucial run-out of KL Rahul and even captaining KKR when skipper Ajinkya Rahane (hand injury) and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer (subbed out) were not on the field, Narine left an indelible impression in every aspect to ensure the defending champions kept themselves alive in race to playoffs.

“They (DC) were batting very positively. They started scoring as soon as they came. It felt like the game was drifting away from us, but Narine bowled well and took two-three wickets continuously. We were able to charge up at that time and got back into the match,” KKR left-arm spinner Anukul Roy would say about Narine’s bowling impact, which turned the tables in their favour, in the post-match press conference.

On Sunday, DC were outclassed by an all-round show from Krunal Pandya of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). If they felt they would get a respite on Tuesday, then Narine stepped up with an even more stellar all-round show to hand DC their second defeat on the trot.

Unlike last year, when Narine amassed 488 runs in KKR’s run to the trophy, he wasn’t able to get those turbocharged starts in the current season. But with the pitch on Tuesday being great for batting and DC being more miss than hit with their bowling in power-play, Narine was back to producing fireworks from get go.

The first ball he faced from Dushmantha Chameera, Narine cleared his front leg and made some room to smash the six over the bowler’s head. With Chameera giving out full balls, Narine easily got time to bring his bat down and flick over a leaping Kuldeep Yadav at mid-wicket for four, before bringing out the one-handed slog and send the slower ball soaring over mid-wicket fence for another maximum.

After pulling a harmless short ball from Mukesh Kumar with elan, one wondered if there was any way Narine’s fireworks would stop. One felt Kuldeep Yadav, with a better match-up record against him, would dismiss Narine. But it was Vipraj Nigam’s quick and straight delivery which went past Narine’s slog to trap him lbw.

By then, Narine had put on KKR’s best opening stand of the season - adding 48 runs with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and was also responsible for the side reaching their fastest fifty in this tournament in 3.4 overs. The fear factor which Narine the high-risk and adventurous batter brings meant that DC’s power-play duties were handled by just pacers, and someone like Axar Patel came on to bowl only after he fell.

In the chase, DC were going at a good rate despite losing two top-order batters in the power play, though they were still behind what KKR amassed in that phase. But after that, Narine began to have an impactful presence in the game.

With the communication between Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul not being the best in terms of taking a cheeky single, Narine fired in a direct hit from short fine leg to catch the latter just short of his ground at the striker's end for seven. With the ball in hand, Narine was struggling to get control, as against his favourable match-up with Axar, the DC skipper hit three sixes to keep his side in the hunt.

As the equation became 69 runs needed off 41 balls, KKR quickly needed something from Narine, their champion bowler, to claw back in the match. That happened when Narine quickly switched to a round-the-wicket angle and was immediately rewarded as Axar lobbed to cover.

From there, it was no stopping Narine as he castled Tristan Stubbs with a usual off-break, before accounting for Faf du Plessis, who looked to heave over deep mid-wicket, but holed out to the fielder.

Narine still wasn’t just done for the night – he later took the catch of Ashutosh Sharma at backward point when he tried to reverse-hit off Varun Chakaravarthy and later got Andre Russell to bowl the final over, where a rampaging Vipraj Nigam was castled to help KKR bag those crucial two points.

"He's been a champion bowler for this franchise. It's so good to have him and Varun in the team. I can always go back to them whenever we are in trouble. He's (Narine) been working really hard, coming early for the practice sessions, bowling for hours and hours in the nets," KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, with a bandaged hand, would say this at the conclusion of the game.

DC derailing in a run-chase for the second time at the Arun Jaitley Stadium after Narine’s spell also brought into focus their poor performance against spinners. Before this game, DC had lost 23 wickets to spinners, and how their contest against Narine, Chakaravarthy and Anukul Roy would pan out was central to the game’s outcome.

At the end, KKR’s spinners, led by Narine’s devastating 3-29, took six wickets - their masterful spin bowling at the end weaving a web of deception which DC never came out of. In the near future, one will remember this game chiefly for Narine’s all-encompassing performance that brought victory to the men in purple and gold in New Delhi, fashioned by the trendy ‘can do it all’ approach from the one single-handedly making KKR win majority of their matches since 2012.

--IANS

nr/bc