Sunil Narine survives hit-wicket scare during IPL 2025 opener

Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) Sunil Narine narrowly avoided dismissal despite a hit-wicket incident against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the opening match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens.

Batting on 44 off 26 balls, Sunil Narine appeared to be out when he accidentally hit the stumps with his bat during the seventh over.

Facing a sharp short delivery from Rasikh Salam, Narine attempted to evade the ball, but in doing so, his bat struck the stumps, dislodging the bails.

However, the umpire ruled him not out, declaring the delivery a wide, as the ball had already passed into wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma’s gloves, and Sunil Narine had completed his shot, sparking on-field controversy.

According to MCC’s cricket laws, if the bails fall after the delivery is complete, the batter is not out.

The decision was based on Law 35.2, which states that a batter is only dismissed hit-wicket if the ball is still in play when the incident occurs.

Meanwhile, RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Josh Hazlewood struck early, dismissing Quinton de Kock for just four runs. However, KKR’s Ajinkya Rahane countered with a quickfire 50 off 25 balls, while Sunil Narine’s 44 off 26 helped propel the team to 174/8 in their allotted overs.

In response, RCB chased down the target, scoring 175/3, with Virat Kohli leading the charge with a brilliant half-century.