Bairstow stars as Punjab pull off record T20 chase in IPL

Jonny Bairstow, aged 34, hammered an unbeaten century as Punjab Kings achieved the highest successful run chase in Twenty20 cricket by thrashing Kolkata Knight Riders with an eight-wicket victory in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

The England cricketer smashed nine sixes and eight fours in his 48-ball 108 to help Punjab chase down Kolkata's 261-6 with eight balls to spare in challenging hot and humid conditions at the Eden Gardens.

Bairstow, who was named player of the match, emphasized the importance of a strong start and the need to be aggressive in the powerplay when chasing a target of over 200 runs.

Shashank Singh also made a significant contribution with an unbeaten 68 off 28 balls, including eight sixes and two fours.

This remarkable chase surpassed the previous highest run chase in T20 history set by South Africa against West Indies in 2023. The match also witnessed a record-breaking 42 sixes being hit, the most in a T20 game ever.

Punjab captain Sam Curran remarked, "Cricket has transformed into baseball, hasn't it?"

"The players can hit balls for extended periods, the coaches and training have changed, the dew affects the game, dot balls become wides after reviews, and you even get an extra ball. Statistics are becoming irrelevant."

Kolkata skipper Shreyas Iyer expressed that his team will learn from the defeat.

"Both teams played exceptionally well. We need to go back to the drawing board and analyze our mistakes," said Iyer.

"Not being able to defend the total is disappointing, but it's a valuable lesson for the players."

Punjab secured only their third victory out of nine games and moved up to the eighth position in the 10-team competition.

Kolkata, with five wins out of eight games, remain in second place.

"From the dugout, I observed the pitch. I felt that the ball was bouncing well," said Shashank.

"This match, Jonny's batting was a major positive. It was a great learning experience for me, and we still have five more matches to go."

Opening the Punjab innings, Bairstow partnered with impact substitute Prabhsimran Singh (54) for a 93-run stand and then added another 85 runs with South Africa's Rilee Rossouw (26).

Prabhsimran was run out by a direct throw from Sunil Narine, who also took the wicket of Rossouw in the 13th over.

Despite these dismissals, Shashank continued to play aggressive shots, ensuring that Punjab maintained their composure while chasing the large target.

Earlier, Kolkata had a blazing start with Phil Salt and Narine sharing a 138-run partnership off just 69 balls for the first wicket after being asked to bat.

Narine, who was dropped on 16, smashed four sixes and nine fours in his 32-ball 71 before getting caught by Bairstow off leg spinner Rahul Chahar.

England's Curran dismissed Salt, who scored a quickfire 75 off 37 balls with six sixes and six fours, after being given two lifelines by sloppy Punjab fielders.

Venkatesh Iyer contributed with a cameo knock of 39 runs as Kolkata posted the highest ever IPL total at the Eden Gardens.