28 August 2023, Mumbai: West Indies and Trinbago Knight Riders all-rounder Sunil Narine has etched his name in cricket history by becoming the first-ever player to receive a red card. The unique incident occurred during a match in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2023, where a new ‘red card’ rule was introduced to address poor over-rates in the T20 league.
CPL 2023’s Slow Over-Rate Rules
In the ongoing CPL 2023 season, the league introduced new rules to tackle slow over-rates, ensuring smoother and more efficient gameplay. The rules are as follows:
– If a team is behind the required over rate at the beginning of the 18th over, an additional player must enter the fielding circle, making it a total of five players inside the circle.
– If the team lags behind the rate at the start of the 19th over, two more fielders need to enter the circle, bringing the total to six inside.
– Should the team remain behind the rate at the commencement of the final over, they will lose a player from the field, selected by the captain, and have six players inside the fielding circle.
– Batting teams also share the responsibility to maintain the game’s pace. After warnings from the umpires, any time-wasting instances will lead to a five-run penalty for the batting team.
Narine’s Red Card Moment
During the match, Trinbago Knight Riders found themselves behind on their over-rate by the start of the final over. As per the new rule, the umpire presented a red card to the team, resulting in all-rounder Sunil Narine having to leave the field for the final over. This left the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise with only 10 players to field against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Narine’s Performance and Team’s Victory
Notwithstanding the unprecedented red card incident, Sunil Narine showcased his prowess as one of the standout performers for the Knight Riders. In his four-over spell, he claimed impressive figures of 3/24, taking crucial wickets including Joshua da Silva, Jyd Goolie, and Corbin Bosch. Despite the red card drama, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots managed to post a competitive total of 178 for 5.In response, the Knight Riders displayed their batting strength, chasing down the target with ease in just 17.1 overs. Nicholas Pooran led the charge with a rapid 61 off 32 balls, accompanied by skipper Kieron Pollard’s explosive knock of 37 from 16 balls. Andre Russell also contributed with an unbeaten 23 off 8 balls to secure a convincing victory.
By being the recipient of cricket’s first red card, Sunil Narine’s name will forever be associated with this unusual but landmark event in the sport’s history.