Kolkata: It was a contest dominated by the batters when Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings met in the IPL fixture at Eden Gardens on Friday and the latter won the fixture by eight wickets.
PBKS opted to bowl first but the KKR openers made them rethink their decision with a 138-run opening stand in just 10.3 overs. Philip Salt scored 75 runs while Sunil Narine notched up 71 runs during his stay at the crease. Wickets kept falling after the first blow but the batters ensured that the momentum isn't hampered and the team posted 261/6 on the scoreboard which was the highest total at the venue.
The real carnage was yet to be unleashed and when PBKS batters walked in for the chase, they made it look easy. The opening pair of Jonny Bairstow (108 not out) and Prabhsimran Singh (54) racked up 93 runs from just six overs for the opening stand before the latter was dismissed via a run-out. Rilee Roussouw contributed with 26 runs and Shashank Singh ensured that it would be a smooth sailing for the chasing side after arriving upon the crease. Plethora of records were broken in the game.
It was the highest target successfully chased in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and also in Men's T20 cricket. Also, the match saw most sixes being hit in a Men's T20 game.
Live Updates from the second innings
Over 16-18.4 (262/2)
No score is safe this season and the sheer hitting by PBKS batters tonight indicated it. The 16th over was a calm one as nine runs were scored in it and Bairstow scored joint second-fastest hundred for PBKS in 45 balls. But, there was a storm after that as neither Bairstow (108 not out) nor Shashank (68 not out) stopped themselves from smashing the white Kookaburra out of the park. The duo amassed 43 runs in the next two overs. Shashank finished the game to ensure eight-wicket victory for the chasing side.
- Over 11-15 (201/2)
Bairstow is unleashing an electrifying version of him today and the batter smacked Chakravarthy for 17 runs thanks to a couple of sixes in the over. Next over, it was Russell who faced the brute hitting from the duo of Bairstow and Rossouw. The duo seems to have taken a leaf straight out of the computer games and they are hitting every delivery out of the park now. Narine brought some sigh of relief to the bowling team as he dismissed the South African batter with a loopy delivery outside off.
Shashank Singh came in to bat and he is not sparing the KKR bowlers either and smacked a couple of sixes to Chakravarthy upon his arrival.
- Over 7-10 (132/1)
Although Prabhsimran is back in the hut, Bairstow is now going gung-ho with his ferocious strokes. Narine slotted an economical seventh over conceding only one run as Rossouw was not able to read him. However, Harshit Rana got whacked for 14 runs in the next and PBKS have maintained their attacking scoring rate. One more maximum from Bairstow in the ninth over and it is an indicator of how simple it is to clear the boundary fence. It was a mistimed shot but still, Bairstow went through it and earned six runs.
- Over 0-6 (93/1)
The out-of-form Jonny Bairstow showed some glimpses of returning to form in the first over as he hit a powerful stroke through the offside on the third delivery of the over against a full-length delivery outside off. PBKS have come out with a befitting reply and Prabhsimran Singh is wreaking havoc with the bat. He collected 23 runs from the third over bowled by Chameera and then took Narine to the cleaners in the fifth over and KKR got 12 runs from it. PBKS are off to a flier now thanks to Prabhsimran and his flourish at the crease is giving confidence to Baristow to go big.