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Captain Narine Turns Hero as KKR Beat DC After Rahane Injury – IPL 2025
In a dramatic twist during Match 48 of IPL 2025, Sunil Narine silently stepped up as Kolkata Knight Riders’ stand-in captain after Ajinkya Rahane suffered a hand injury—and went on to win the match for his team with a brilliant spell of spin bowling.
Rahane’s Injury Forces Change in Leadership
Ajinkya Rahane injured his hand trying to stop a powerful shot from Faf du Plessis in the 12th over of Delhi Capitals’ chase. He immediately left the field, and without any formal announcement, Sunil Narine took charge of the team.
The game changed completely after that moment.Narine’s Tactical Genius with the Ball
Narine made a captain’s call by bringing Varun Chakravarthy back into the attack, despite him going wicketless in his first two overs. It was a masterstroke.
- 13th Over: Varun bowled tighter lines, conceding just 9 runs.
- 14th Over: Narine returned himself and struck immediately.
Axar Patel, who had been playing a key knock despite an injury, tried to go big but was caught brilliantly by Harshit Rana. It was the fourth time Narine dismissed Axar in the IPL.
Match-Turning Over by Narine
Still in the 14th over, Narine bowled out Tristan Stubbs with a beautiful off-spinner. Suddenly, KKR were on top. Their win percentage surged from 45% to 72% after that over.
Seals the Deal with Third Wicket
In the 16th over, Narine came back again and dismissed the set batter Faf du Plessis. He finished with figures of 3/29, a spell that won the match for Kolkata.
Varun Chakravarthy followed up with two wickets in the 18th over, and DC collapsed from 130/3 to 160/8, losing by 14 runs.
Russell: “Narine Always a Leader”
Post-match, Andre Russell praised Narine’s leadership:
“Bringing himself back was the game-changer. He might be quiet, but on the field, Narine is a true leader,” Russell said.
Even Rahane, with his hand heavily taped, felt confident KKR was in safe hands:
“Not bad. I’ll be okay. Narine had us covered.”
KKR Spin Domination
KKR’s spin unit completely choked DC in the second half:
| Bowler | Overs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Narine | 4 | 3 | 7.25 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | 4 | 2 | 10.00 |
| Anukul Roy | 2 | 1 | 7.50 |
Conclusion: The Silent Captain Speaks Through Actions
Sunil Narine’s calm, decisive leadership and bowling brilliance sealed a crucial victory for Kolkata Knight Riders. His quiet takeover became the loudest moment of IPL 2025 so far.
