Kolkata : In a high-scoring match, Punjab Kings created history by chasing down a target of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Eden Gardens here on Friday to set a new record for successful run chases in the history of IPL.
Kolkata, batting first after losing the toss, scored 261 for six in 20 overs, which seemed like a mountain of a score at that time. Opener Phil Salt (75 runs off 37 balls, six sixes, six fours) and Sunil Narine (71 runs off 32 balls, four sixes, nine fours) put on a 138-run partnership for the first wicket in just 10.2 overs. Venkatesh Iyer (39 runs off 23 balls), Shreyas Iyer (28 runs off 10 balls) and Andre Russell (24 runs off 12 balls) also made significant contributions, playing some quickfire cameos.
But the Punjab team, which came out to chase the target, had other intentions. They chased down the mountain by scoring 262 for two wickets in just 18.4 overs, making a mockery of the target.
The previous record for successful run chases in the IPL was held by Rajasthan Royals, who had chased down 223/2 of Kings XI Punjab in 19.3 overs to score 226/6 in a match played in Sharjah on September 27, 2020.
For Punjab Kings, Jonny Bairstow scored an unbeaten 108 runs off 48 balls. He hit nine sixes and eight fours. Shashank Singh scored an unbeaten 68 runs off 28 balls. He also hit eight sixes and two fours. Bairstow added 93 runs for the first wicket with Prabhsimran Singh (54 runs off 20 balls) in six overs.
Except Sunil Narine, all the KKR bowlers were hammered. Narine took the wicket of Riley Rossouw (26) for 24 runs in four overs. He also ran out Prabhsimran.
In KKR’s innings, Arshdeep Singh took two wickets while Sam Curran, Harshal Patel and Rahul Chahar took one wicket each.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.