KKR vs PBKS Indian Premier League 2024 Highlights: In the 42nd match of IPL 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders faced Punjab Kings. This match was played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Batting first, Kolkata scored 261 runs after losing six wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Punjab chased the target in 18.4 overs.
Punjab Kings have created history. He has chased the biggest score in the history of 17 seasons of IPL. Punjab chased the target of 262 runs in just 18.4 overs. That means in the end eight balls were left. 262 runs is the most successful chase in IPL history. Earlier in IPL 2020, Rajasthan had chased 224 runs against Punjab. The heroes of victory for Punjab were Jonny Bairstow, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh.
Batting first after losing the toss, Kolkata scored 261 runs losing six wickets in 20 overs. Phil Salt scored 75 runs in 37 balls and Sunil Narine scored 71 runs in 32 balls. In reply, Prabhsimran Singh gave a stormy start to Punjab by scoring 54 runs in 20 balls. After this, Jonny Bairstow played 108 runs in 48 balls and Shashank Singh played an unbeaten inning of 68 runs in 28 balls, leading Punjab to victory. 42 sixes were hit in this match, which is the highest in any match in IPL history.
With this victory, Punjab team has moved to eighth place with six points from nine matches with three wins and six losses. At the same time, Kolkata team remains at second position. They have 10 points after eight matches with five wins and three losses. Punjab has to play the next match against Chennai Super Kings on May 1. Whereas Kolkata has to play against Delhi on 29th April at Eden Gardens only.
When Kolkata made its second highest score of 261 runs for seven wickets, it seemed that it would not be possible to touch this score, but Punjab did what has never happened in T20 cricket till date. A record was also made for the maximum number of 42 sixes hit in this match.
Prabhasimran’s half century in 18 balls
While chasing 262 runs, Prabhasimran made his intentions clear by hitting two sixes in Harshit Rana’s over. In the third over, Prabhasimran scored 23 runs by hitting two fours and two sixes on Dushmantha. In the fifth over, he hit a six on Sunil Narine and completed his half-century in 18 balls. Jonny Bairstow scored 24 runs on the first five balls of the sixth over by hitting three fours and two sixes on Anukul Roy, but was out on the sixth ball on a direct throw from Prabhsimran Narayan. He scored 54 runs in 20 balls. In the powerplay, Punjab scored 93 runs for one wicket. On the second ball of the eighth over, Bairstow hit a six on Rana and Punjab completed 100 runs. He completed his half-century in 23 balls.
Bairstow and Shashank’s blast
Bairstow became more aggressive after completing his half-century. He hit two sixes on Varun in the 11th over. In the next over, he hit three sixes on Russell and increased Punjab’s score to 173 runs in 12 overs. Sunil broke this partnership by dismissing Riley Rousseau (26). Bairstow-Rousseau added 85 runs in 39 balls. As soon as Shashank came, he hit two consecutive sixes on Varun. Kolkata scored 201 runs in 15 overs, leaving the target at 61 runs in 30 overs.
Bairstow scored his second century in IPL in 45 balls. This was his century in the IPL after five years. Last time he played an inning of 114 runs against RCB in 2019 while being in Sunrisers Hyderabad. Shashank hit three sixes on Dushmantha in the 17th over and the target remained 34 runs in 18 balls. Shashank did not stop here, he hit two consecutive sixes on Rana and completed his half-century in 23 balls. A total of 3 sixes and fours were hit in this over and the target remained nine runs in 12 balls, which was achieved in the 19th over.
Earlier, thanks to the stormy half-centuries of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, Kolkata Knight Riders made their second highest score in IPL against Punjab Kings. Kolkata scored 261 runs for six wickets with Sunil’s 71 runs in 32 balls with the help of nine fours and four sixes and Salt’s 75 runs in 37 balls. Sunil and Salt made a century partnership of 138 runs in 63 balls for the first wicket. In the same season, Kolkata had scored 272 runs for seven wickets against Delhi Capitals. This is his highest score in IPL.
He did not like Sam Curran’s decision to invite Kolkata to bat after winning the toss. Brar dropped the catch of Harshal’s ball in the very third over of dangerous Narine. He was 15 then. The result was that Phil Salt scored 18 runs by hitting two sixes and a four in this over. In the next over, Narine targeted Rabada and scored 21 runs by hitting three fours and a six. KKR scored 55 runs in 3.5 overs. Punjab’s string of poor fielding continued. Curran dropped an easy catch of Salt in the sixth over. He was at 34. The result was that KKR scored 76 runs in the powerplay. However, in the seventh over, Rabada also gave life to Salt on his personal total of 35.
