Bairstow leads Kings to record chase in insane slamfest
Prabhsimran and Shashank’s matching onslaughts help Punjab reach the target of 262 with eight wickets and as many balls to spare; Salt and Narine’s 138-run opening stand goes in vain for KKR
Jonny Bairstow was at his destructive best to smash an unbeaten 108 (48b, 8x4, 9x6) and helped Punjab Kings create history by overhauling host Kolkata Knight Riders’ record score of 261, by eight wickets, at the Eden Gardens here on Friday.
With this incredible achievement, Punjab Kings became the team to record the highest successful runchase in the annals of all T20 matches.
Chasing the massive score put up by the host, which was the highest T20 total at the venue, Punjab Kings decided to bring in Prabhsimran Singh as the Impact Player (for Arshdeep Singh). The decision paid rich dividends as the opening batter took the KKR bowling attack to the cleaners, hitting boundaries and sixes at will.
The home side, which brought in Sri Lankan speedster Dushmantha Chameera in place of Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, failed to make a mark as Prabhsimran and Bairstow struck a 93-run partnership for the opening wicket.
Prabhsimran (54, 20b, 4x4, 5x6) played the lead role before getting run out by a direct throw from Sunil Narine.
The worst suerer in the demolition process was
Anukul Roy, the left-arm spinner whom KKR brought as Impact Player (for Venkatesh Iyer). Anukul gave away 36 in his two overs as Bairstow took over the task of annihilating the KKR bowling.
The English batter raced to his century in 45 balls. After his opening stand with Prabhsimran, Bairstow constructed two more partnerships — 85 for the second wicket with Rilee Rossouw before nishing the innings with an unbroken stand of 84 with Shashank Singh. The latter remained unbeaten on 68 o 28 balls, hitting two boundaries and eight sixes.
Earlier, KKR rode on the belligerence of its openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine to reach 261 in its 20 overs. Salt emerged KKR’s top scorer with a 75 (37b, 6x4, 6x6), while Narine made 71 (32b, 9x4, 4x6).
That the Knight Riders’ opening partnership ourished was largely due to the largesse of the PBKS elders who dropped three catches to help the deadly duo unleash a barrage of boundaries and sixes.
Narine, who was dropped by Hardeep Brar o the bowling of Harshal Patel in the third over when he was 16, utilised the reprieve to spectacular eect. Salt earned two ‘lives’ in the sixth and seventh overs before being dismissed on 75 (37b, 6x4, 6x6) in the 13th over when the score read 163.
Bairstow and Shashank made light of an imposing total with some incredible hitting to give Kings a much-needed victory.
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS Phil Salt b Curran 75 (37b, 6x4, 6x6), Sunil Narine c Bairstow b Rahul Chahar 71 (32b, 9x4, 4x6), Venkatesh Iyer run out 39 (23b, 3x4, 2x6), Andre Russell c Harshal b Arshdeep 24 (12b, 2x4, 2x6), Shreyas Iyer c Rabada b Arshdeep 28 (10b, 1x4, 3x6), Rinku Singh c Ashutosh b Harshal 5 (4b, 1x4), Ramandeep Singh (not out) 6 (3b, 1x6); Extras (b-1, lb-1, nb-1, w-10): 13; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 261.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-138 (Narine, 10.2 overs), 2-163 (Salt, 12.3), 3-203 (Russell, 15.3), 4-246 (Shreyas, 18.3), 5-253 (Rinku, 19.2), 6-261 (Venkatesh, 19.6).
KINGS BOWLING
Curran 4-0-60-1, Arshdeep 4-0-45-2, Harshal 3-0-48-1, Rabada 3-0-52-0, Rahul Chahar 4-0-33-1, Harpreet Brar 2-0-21-0.
PUNJAB KINGS Prabhsimran Singh (Impact Player in place of Arshdeep) run out 54 (20b, 4x4, 5x6), Jonny Bairstow (not out) 108 (48b, 8x4, 9x6), Rilee Rossouw c Shreyas b Narine 26 (16b, 1x4, 2x6), Shashank Singh (not out) 68 (28b, 2x4, 8x6); Extras (lb-2, w-4): 6; Total (for two wkts. in 18.4 overs): 262.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-93 (Prabhsimran, 5.6), 2-178 (Rossouw, 12.3).
KNIGHT RIDERS BOWLING Chameera 3-0-48-0, Harshit 4-0-61-0, Anukul 2-0-36-0, Narine 4-0-24-1, Varun 3-0-46-0, Russell 2-0-36-0, Ramandeep 0.4-0-9-0. Toss: Kings; PoM: Bairstow. Kings won by eight wickets with eight balls remaining.