Sunil Narine has bowled 14 powerplay overs in his last six matches — more than he bowled in his entire 2024 season. The tactical shift is one of the most consequential mid-season moves in the league, and the numbers behind it are striking.
Why the change
KKR’s analytics team identified three structural problems with Narine bowling in the middle overs: batsmen had begun to read his slower balls earlier in the innings, the left-arm spin match-up against a settled batter was less effective than the match-up against a new batter, and the bowlers operating at the other end were leaking more runs when Narine was operating in defensive mode.
The early numbers
In his 14 powerplay overs in the new role, Narine has taken 9 wickets at an economy of 5.6. The corresponding numbers for his middle-overs spell in those same matches are 4 wickets at 7.1. The net result is a structural improvement that is visible in the team economy table and in the win-loss record.
Fantasy angle
Narine’s ceiling has changed category. A 4-over powerplay wicket-taker scores 60-80 fantasy points on a good night — a category that most other all-rounders cannot reach without batting 30+ runs. The captain pick index has been updated to reflect this.