Punjab Kings (PBKS) completed the highest run chase in T20 cricket to beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.
With the win, PBKS got to six points and climbed over Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2024 points table, with a better net run rate as KKR stayed on 10 points.
IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings – HIGHLIGHTS
It was a usual blistering start from the KKR opening duo as Phil Salt and Sunil Narine put the PBKS pacers to the sword – bringing up their 50-run partnership in just 23 deliveries.
Punjab’s fielding was dismal, especially their catching. Narine, dropped by Harpreet Brar at point on 16, smashed his fifty in 23 balls. Salt was dropped twice – by Curran on 34 and then by Rabada on 35. The pair reached the 100-run mark in eight overs as Salt got his fifty in 25 balls.
Narine departed as Jonny Bairstow finally held on with Rahul Chahar getting the first breakthrough. The KKR star made 32-ball 71, with 9 fours and 4 sixes.
Narine and Salt registered the highest opening partnership – 138 off 63 balls – this season.
Venkatesh Iyer walked out to bat but Salt kept powering through. In the 13th over, Salt smashed identical sixes down the ground before Curran bowled a near-perfect yorker to send back his fellow Englishman.
KKR did not stop the attacking intent, despite the PBKS spinners causing uncertainty with some balls sticking in the pitch. Russell along with Venkatesh smacked a couple of fours and sixes to take the home side to 190 at the end of 15 overs.
Russell took Arshdeep apart with a monstrous six and a streaky boundary but the bowler got the last laugh as a short ball was skied and caught confidently by Harshal Patel.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer came out and smashed his opposite number Curran for three sixes. In the very next over though, Shreyas tried to hit Arshdeep but was caught by Rabada in the deep.
Rinku Singh was next as he too came out swinging, hit a boundary but was immediately sent back by Harshal. Harshal managed to contain things in the last over but Kolkata Knight Riders registered the highest IPL total at Eden Gardens.
Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024
Bairstow and Impact Sub Prabhsimran Singh started the chase brightly for PBKS, reaching the 50-run mark in 3.3 overs. The latter reached his fifty in just 18 balls, as Bairstow joined him soon with two fours and two sixes off Impact Sub Anukul Roy. On the last ball though, an attempt at a quick single led to Prabhsimran being run out by Narine to end the powerplay.
Bairstow smashed Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy for a couple of sixes as he brought up his fifty in 23 deliveries. At the halfway stage of the innings, PBKS had scored 132 runs and needed 130 more.
Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw joined forces and despite the controlled bowling of KKR’s spinners, brought up their 50-run stand in just 29 balls. Lusty blows to Russell followed but Narine managed to get the wicket of Rossouw, with Shreyas taking a good high catch and ending the second-wicket stand for 85 off 39 deliveries.
PBKS went past the 200 mark in the 15th over, needing 61 runs from 30 balls. Bairstow reached his hundred in 45 balls after an air-borne stroke was almost caught in the deep by Ramadeep.
Shashank Singh, at the other end, continued to toy with the KKR bowlers. He smashed Dushmantha Chameera for three sixes to bring up the 50-run partnership in just 27 balls.
The equation, 34 runs in the last three overs.
Shashank then smacked Harshit for two back-to-back sixes to complete his fifty in 23 balls. Another four and a six to round off the 18th over helped PBKS cross the 250-run mark.
The equation, 9 runs in 12 balls.
Ramandeep came into the bowl and Shashank welcomed him with a huge six down the ground, taking the total number of sixes to 42 – the most in any T20 match.
Shashank hit the winning runs as Punjab Kings completed the highest successful run chase, not only in the IPL but in all T20 cricket.
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