Follow UsTrent Boult and Mumbai Indians (MI) - One bowler and one opponent that Sunil Narine can’t get the better of in the 20-over format. The 36-year-old from West Indies plays the role of a powerplay basher for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and has done that with perfection.
However, when it comes to MI, Narine has a terrible record with the bat against the five-time champions. The left-handed batter has managed only 51 runs in 14 innings at an average of 4.64 - his worst against any IPL franchise (at least five innings). Not once has he crossed the 10-run mark against MI.
Then comes Boult, against whom he also averages 4.6 in the 20-over format. The left-arm seamer from New Zealand has dismissed Narine five times in five innings, all that in the space of just 19 deliveries.
If you combine them both, that’s a recipe for disaster for Narine the batter. The left-handed opener, who scored 46 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but missed the game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) due to illness, made his comeback against MI in Match 12 of the IPL 2025 on March 31 (Monday).
And it took Boult just two balls to get rid of Narine. Boult went full and got the ball to move away, and Narine had no clue how to deal with that. The West Indian went for a blind heave and ended up getting knocked over for a two-ball duck.
This was Boult’s 30th wicket in the first over in the IPL - clearly the most by any bowler in the competition.