IPL 2024 KKR vs PBKS: Records broken in run-fest at Eden Gardens
Punjab Kings recorded the highest-ever chase in a T20 match, eclipsing the 259 scored by South Africa against the West Indies in 2023
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Just barely a couple of hours after Kolkata Knight Riders rewrote the record books by scoring the highest-ever score at the Eden Gardens and the seventh-highest score in the history of the Indian Premier League, Punjab Kings broke the record when they chased down 261 to win by eight wickets on Friday.
In the process, Punjab Kings also recorded the highest-ever chase in a T20 match, eclipsing the 259 scored by South Africa against the West Indies in 2023.
After Phil Salt (75, 37 balls, 6 fours and 6 sixes), Sunil Narine (71, 32 balls, 9 fours, 4 sixes), Venkatesh Iyer (39, 23 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes), Shreyas Iyer (28, 10 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) and Andre Russell (24, 12 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) made merry with the bat to help KKR post 261, Punjab Kings’ Jonny Bairstow (108*, 48 balls, 8 fours, 9 sixes), Shashank Singh (68*, 28 balls, 2 fours, 8 sixes) and Prabhsimran Singh (54, 20 balls, 4 fours, 5 sixes) took PBKS home in just 18.4 overs, scoring 262/2.
The 262 scored by PBKS is also the highest in the IPL, bettering the 224 scored by Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings at Sharjah in 2020.
The KKR vs PBKS match produced 523 runs, only third behind the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match in Bengaluru and the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians match in Hyderabad this season. Incidentally, four of the top-five match aggregates have been scored in the ongoing season, with the 465 runs scored between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad being the fifth.
The match also saw both teams score the most number of sixes in a match – 42. The previous highest was 38 sixes scored by SRH and MI in Hyderabad in the ongoing season of the IPL.
After KKR scored 18 sixes in the first innings, PBKS scored six more to finish on a mammoth 24 sixes in the innings. Only Nepal has managed more sixes in an innings in international T20 cricket. Nepal hit 26 sixes against Mongolia at the Asian Games last year, en route to their monumental 314/3 effort.
While the KKR batters scored 205 runs off the PBKS pacers and just 54 off their spinners, the PBKS batters were only cautious against Sunil Narine, against whom they just scored 24 runs in four overs. The remaining KKR bowlers leaked 236 runs in 14.4 overs and took no wickets.
