"Cricket resembles baseball now," remarked Punjab Kings skipper Sam Curran after his team's remarkable T20 world record chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL on Friday.
Led by Jonny Bairstow's sensational century, Punjab Kings set a new benchmark for the highest run chase in T20 cricket history, surpassing KKR's 261/6 with eight wickets and eight balls remaining.
"It's very satisfying. Above all, it's the victory that counts. Cricket is evolving, isn't it? We're thrilled with the two points," said Curran during the post-match presentation.
"We've faced tough times as a team recently. Regardless of the scores, this win was well-deserved."
Regarding the high scores witnessed in this IPL season, Curran commented, "There are various factors at play: players' ability to hit big shots consistently, coaching, training routines, dew factor, and the umpiring decisions affecting wide balls. Stats are becoming irrelevant. It's about seizing the key moments, both in batting and bowling."
Speaking about Bairstow's brilliant century and Shashank Singh's aggressive innings, Curran added, "I'm genuinely happy for Jonny; he's been longing to make a mark. Shashank's performance has been outstanding. Promoted to No. 4, he's been a revelation this season. We must cherish these victories, especially this significant win in Kolkata."
Player of the Match Bairstow emphasized the importance of a strong start, highlighting the crucial opening partnership of 93 runs in six overs for Punjab Kings. "We began well, which set the tone. Knowing they had a strong start too, we knew we had to capitalize on the powerplay," Bairstow said.
"When you've to chase 200-plus you've to take risks in the powerplay. (How to approach such a chase?) Try and whack it as hard as possible (laughs). It was a case of if it's in your area you go after it. We wanted to lose as few wickets as possible.
Bairstow also commended Shashank's consistent performances, "Shashank has done it all season, a lovely guy and special player. To have someone like him coming in and do that is unbelievable. His knowledge, he's not young either, he's nice and calm, full credit to him the way he came out and hit it cleanly."
PBKS surpassed South Africa's 259/4 against West Indies last year, setting a new IPL record. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the exceptional batting performances but expressed disappointment at failing to defend the target, considering it a learning experience for the team.
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