In a thrilling fightback, Punjab Kings chased down a colossal score of 262 runs in a style that delighted the Kolkata night sky, beating the Knight Riders in a sensational IPL thriller.
At the 'City of Joy', the chasing party Punjab Kings smashed a historic chase of a humungous target as the Knight Riders were thrown into a state of disarray.
On one hot and humid evening in Kolkata, the punishing sixers were rained down on the venue as Punjab Kings' batsmen unleashed a carnage of 24 balls into the stands. Bairstow's unbeaten 108 off 48 deliveries was the fire in the belly of the chasing party, and it was ably supported by Shashank Singh's blistering 68 not out off 28 deliveries and Prabhsimran Singh's scorching 54 off just 20 deliveries.
Though Sunil Narine smashed 71 off 32 balls and Phil Salt notched up 75 off 37 deliveries for the Knight Riders, the game witnessed a blistering start and then swiftly turned on its head after Bairstow took center stage. Prabhsimran's explosive show at the top proved to be the perfect platform for Bairstow to find his rhythm.
After Prabhsimran's departure, Rossouw and Shashank Singh let loose with an onslaught. In response to Bairstow's nine sixes, Shashank hit eight of his own, and Punjab Kings were pushed right into the corner.
A record of 523 runs and a record 42 sixes were soaked up during the match, amply cementing the power of the bats at both ends. Interestingly enough, the two record chases against Knight Riders were strung out over a span of 10 days in the legendary Eden Gardens stadium.
The much-overdue victory injected some kind of life into the campaign of Punjab Kings, which found itself at the eighth position in the table. However, Kolkata Knight Riders suffered their third loss of the season.
Prabhsimran's explosive beginning established the momentum for Punjab Kings' chase, and more of his runs came over the edge of the bat. Bairstow followed suit and went on a rampage against the bowling of Kolkata, especially against left-arm spinner Anukul Roy.
His rapid fifty, after a middle-order slump in the middle of the season, proved that Bairstow was in a league of his own and that he was single-handedly taking the team towards victory. However, the Kolkata Knight Riders had a strong start in the form of explosive innings from Narine and Salt at the top.
The game eventually swung in Punjab Kings' favor, despite a good start by Kolkata Knight Riders at the top of the order. Shreyas Iyer's cameo down the order was swift, and that helped them breach 260, but it proved insufficient to hinder Punjab Kings' relentless pursuit of victory.
Read also | Punjab Kings' Record-Breaking Triumph: Defeat KKR by 8 Wickets in Historic Chase
