While Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni dominate the popularity charts, former India batsman Ambati Rayudu believes that the discussion about the greatest IPL player of all time belongs to someone else. After Kolkata Knight Riders’ big win over Gujarat Titans, Rayudu overtook the league’s most famous icons to crown Sunil Narine the undisputed number one.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Rayudu delivered a scathing verdict on the West Indian’s legacy, highlighting his unmatched value as a genuine two-way player.

“Best IPL An all-time player in my opinion,” Rayudu said, “a match-winner with the ball and with the bat. I don’t think there have been that many great players in the IPL, but this guy always stands out. That’s at the top of the list for me.”

Overcome Controversy to Achieve Greatness

Former India coach Sanjay Bangar strongly supported Rayudu’s claim and placed Narine firmly in the top five of all-time. Bangar praised the KKR star’s resilience and how he rebuilt his bowling after his action was questioned several times during his career.

“He had to overcome a lot of problems in terms of his action being questioned,” Bangar said. “But he found another way of bowling the ball while maintaining the ability to turn the ball both ways. This creates a huge doubt in the mind of the batsman. These qualities make him a legend.”

Historic 200th match keeps KKR alive

The praise came at just the right time, including from Narine Historic 200th IPL match for KKR, it is necessary to win at any cost.

Batting first, KKR scored a season’s best score of 247 runs for 2 wickets. Opener Finn Allen played a stormy innings of 93 runs in 35 balls, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi (82*) and Cameron Green (52*) ended the innings brilliantly by making an unbeaten 108-run partnership.

Captain of Gujarat Titans in reply Shubman Gill gave a brilliant counter attackKept his team in the competition by scoring 85 runs. However, it was Narine who broke the game open. The experienced spinner outwitted the dangerous Gill, and trapped him in an errant shot on his way to taking 2 for 29.

Despite half-centuries from Jos Buttler (57) and Sai Sudarshan (53*), GT finished at 218 for 4. The 29-run win kept KKR’s play-off hopes alive, proving that even after 200 matches, Sunil Narine is one of the ultimate match-winners in the IPL.

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