RETIRED Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies allrounder Sunil Narine lit up match 31 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season on April 16, when he blazed a brilliant 109 off 56 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens.

Opening the batting, the left-handed Narine struck 13 boundaries and six sixes in his belligerent innings as he notched his maiden Twenty/20 hundred. The 35-year-old Narine has been in fine form for KKR atop the order this season, and he registered his previous T20 best score of 85 versus Delhi Capitals on April 2, to go along with a knock of 47 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 28.

In the top-of-the-table clash with Rajasthan, though, Narine reached the special landmark in stunning fashion when he reached his ton off 49 balls in the 16th over. Narine took special liking to Rajasthan leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the 16th over, as he struck two sixes and two fours to bring up his century in fine style.

Narine has now become only the third KKR batsman to score an IPL century, following in the footsteps of former New Zealand star Brendon McCullum and his current KKR teammate Venkatesh Iyer.

KKR closed their innings on a competitive score of 223 for six.

On April 14, Narine was asked about his possible return to the Windies setup for the 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup by his former West Indies teammate Samuel Badree. Narine said, "I'll be watching from home, Badree."

But at the halfway stage of the game on April 16, Narine was asked to elaborate on his post-game comments from April 14.

The KKR centurion said, "it is what it is, but we will see what the future holds."

The post Narine slams maiden IPL century for KKR appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.