NEW DELHI: Jonny Bairstow's scintillating unbeaten century off just 45 balls propelled Punjab Kings to a record-breaking victory, as they successfully chased down Kolkata Knight Riders' imposing total of 261/6 with a stunning 262/2, clinching victory by eight wickets with eight balls to spare.
Bairstow's breathtaking innings, complemented by Shashank Singh's unbeaten 68 off 28 balls and Prabhsimran Singh's explosive 54 off 20, ended Punjab Kings' four-match losing streak in style. The Eden Gardens witnessed a spectacle as Punjab Kings hammered 24 sixes, outshining the 18 struck by the home side.
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Reflecting on KKR's formidable innings, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra highlighted the players' ultra-aggressive mindset as a key factor in the high scores.
Dismissing the notion of the "Impact Player" rule as the sole reason for the onslaught, Chopra stated on his Youtube channel, "The bowlers got hit a lot and it wasn't because of the 'Impact Player' rule. Both openers scored half-centuries and not many players got out. Ramandeep Singh came in the end for one ball and he too hit a six. So where does the impact player come there? An extra batter wasn't required. The change has been in the mindset."
Chopra also expressed surprise at KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer's decision to bat ahead of hard-hitter Rinku Singh, noting, "Venkatesh Iyer came and he also tried to play big shots... I was extremely surprised that why Shreyas Iyer came ahead of Rinku Singh."
Despite Shreyas Iyer's aggressive cameo of 28 runs off 10 balls, Chopra questioned the batting order decision, suggesting Rinku Singh's potential impact.
As Punjab Kings bask in their remarkable victory, Bairstow's masterclass serves as a testament to their resilience and determination to turn the tide in their favor in the IPL 2024 season.
1/10:Punjab pull off record T20 chase against Kolkata
AFP
2/10:Highest successful run chase
<p>Jonny Bairstow smashed a "ballistic" unbeaten century as Punjab Kings recorded the highest successful run chase in Twenty20 cricket with an eight-wicket thrashing of Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. </p>AFP
3/10:Jonny Bairstow
<p>The England star clobbered nine sixes and eight fours in his 48-ball 108 to help Punjab overhaul Kolkata's 261-6 with eight balls to spare. </p>AFP
4/10:Shashank Singh
<p>Shashank Singh also impressed with the bat, making 68 not out off 28 balls with eight sixes and two fours. </p>AFP
5/10:Sixes galore!
<p>The match also saw the batsmen club 42 sixes -- the most ever hit in a T20 game. </p>AFP
6/10:Ballistic Bairstow
<p>Opening the Punjab innings, Bairstow put on 93 runs with impact sub Prabhsimran Singh (54) and another 85 runs with Rilee Rossouw (26). </p>AFP
7/10:Sunil Narine
<p>Prabhsimran was run out by a direct throw from Sunil Narine who also chipped in with the wicket of Rossouw in the 13th over. </p>PTI
8/10:Big shots unleashed
<p>Despite the two dismissals, Shashank continued to unleash big shots, making sure Punjab did not lose their nerve while chasing the big total. </p>AP
9/10:KKR openers
<p>Earlier, Kolkata got off to a blistering start with Phil Salt and Narine sharing 138 runs off just 69 balls for the first wicket after being put in to bat. </p>PTI
