Sunil Narine Becomes IPL's Most-Capped Overseas Player

The spinner made his IPL debut in 2012 for Kolkata Kight Riders and has remained with the team ever since.

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Sunil Narine has become the Indian Premier League's most-capped overseas player, reaching the milestone during the second match of IPL 2026 between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. 

The fixture marked Narine's 190th IPL appearance, taking him past fellow West Indian Kieron Pollard to the top of the list for most matches played by a foreign cricketer in the tournament's history.

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The spinner played a pivotal role in KKR's title-winning campaigns and remains the IPL's highest-wicket-taking overseas spinner, having been one of the tournament's earliest and most effective mystery spinners.

Beyond his bowling, he has frequently opened the innings as a pinch-hitter, with his explosive 105-run powerplay stand alongside Chris Lynn still a record. His all-round value peaked in IPL 2024, when he became the first player in league history to score 500 runs and take 15 wickets in a single season.

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The Trinidadian has also won the IPL's Most Valuable Award a record three times. 

Here is a look at the overseas players with most appearances in the IPL:

PlayerIPL AppearancesTeams Represented
           Sunil Narine                 190Kolkata Knight Riders
Kieron Pollard189Mumbai Indians
AB de Villiers184Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru
David Warner184Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad
Dwayne Bravo161Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions
Faf du Plessis154Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals and Rising Pune Super Giants
Shane Watson145Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals 
Chris Gayle142Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings 
Glenn Maxwell141Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru
David Miller     141Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals

With 278 appearances, MS Dhoni is IPL's most-capped player ever. 

The 2026 season of the IPL got underway on March 28 with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 6 wickets. 

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