New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) icon Sunil Narine pipped Mumbai Indians (MI) great Kieron Pollard to claim the record for most appearances by an overseas player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Narine achieved the feat after being named in KKR’s playing XI for their IPL 2026 opener against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 29.
Narine is featuring in his 190th game in the IPL, going past Pollard, who played 189 matches in his IPL career and held the top spot on the list of overseas players with the most appearances in the cash-rich league. Narine, who made his IPL debut in 2012, has played for KKR throughout his IPL career and has played an instrumental role in the franchise’s success over the years.
The former West Indies spinner was part of KKR’s maiden title triumph in 2012 and played key roles in his team’s next two title victories in 2014 and 2024. Narine is KKR’s leading wicket-taker in the IPL with 210 wickets to his name in 199 matches so far at an average of 24.23 and an excellent economy rate of 6.72, including eight four-wicket hauls and one fifer.
Most matches by an overseas player in the IPL:
190 – Sunil Narine*
189 – Kieron Pollard
184 – AB de Villiers
184 – David Warner
161 – Dwayne Bravo
Narine is also the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL alongside Piyush Chawla, who finished his career with 192 wickets in 192 matches. Narine is only behind Yuzvendra Chahal (221) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (199) in the elite list of highest wicket-takers of all time in the IPL. Narine has been retained by KKR ahead of all mega auctions since signing for the franchise and has been one of the best players in the league.