A Nostalgic Encounter
In a recent match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Gujarat Titans (GT), there was a moment that brought back memories for many cricket fans. Shubman Gill, the current captain of the Gujarat Titans, began his IPL journey with the Kolkata Knight Riders. He spent four years with KKR, sharing the dressing room with Sunil Narine. In this particular game, Gill was seen exchanging smiles with Narine, highlighting their long-standing relationship.
Gill’s performance in the match was commendable as he scored 85 runs, becoming the highest scorer for GT. On the other hand, Narine was named the player of the match after taking two wickets for just 29 runs. Interestingly, Gill was dismissed by Narine, with Anukul Roy making a remarkable catch at the boundary.
A Milestone for Narine
This match marked a significant milestone for Sunil Narine, as he completed his historic 200th IPL match while representing KKR. He became the first overseas player to reach this impressive number in the league. In addition to dismissing Gill, Narine also took the wicket of Nishnat Sindhu.
Here is a list of the most IPL matches played by overseas players:
- Sunil Narine – West Indies – 200* – KKR
- Kieron Pollard – West Indies – 189 – MI
- AB de Villiers – South Africa – 184 – DC, RCB
- David Warner – Australia – 184 – DC, SRH
- Dwayne Bravo – West Indies – 161 – MI, CSK, GL
A Look Back at Gill’s Time with KKR
Before becoming the captain of the Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill laid the foundation of his IPL career with the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2018 to 2021. He was picked for ₹1.8 crore following his outstanding performance in the U-19 World Cup. Gill arrived as a teenage prodigy and gradually developed into a reliable top-order batter for KKR.
Although he initially batted in the middle order during his debut season, Gill made an impression with a composed fifty against Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens. His breakthrough came in 2019 when KKR promoted him as an opener, which earned him the IPL Emerging Player of the Year award.
Gill became KKR’s leading run-scorer in both 2020 and 2021, playing a crucial role in the franchise’s journey to the IPL 2021 final. However, retention constraints before the 2022 mega auction concluded his memorable four-year stint with the purple and gold team.
