Left Arm Around

Jonny Bairstow roared back to form with an unbeaten 108 as Punjab Kings chased a mammoth target of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

This was the highest-recorded chase in the history of T20 cricket, eclipsing South Africa’s effort of 259/4 against West Indies at Centurion in March 2023.

They also beat the previous record of 22 sixes in an IPL innings, smashing 24 across 18.4 overs.

Bairstow, 34, silenced growing his critics with a majestic 45-ball century, first combining with Prabhsimran Singh at the top of the order.

The pair set up the chase with a brutal opening stand of 93 inside the powerplay, before Prabhsimran was brilliantly ran-out for 54 by a Sunil Narine direct-hit from short fine-leg.

Rilee Rossouw briefly threatened with a quick-fire 26- including two sixes- but it was ultimately the partnership of Bairstow and Shashank Singh which bulldozed them over the line with eight balls to spare.

England’s Bairstow will rightly take the headlines after crunching a second IPL ton on his return to the XI, however Shashank deserves heavy plaudits for his ability to finish the game off- hitting eight sixes in only 28 balls.

The 32-year-old smoked 68 to dominate a partnership of 84 with Bairstow.

Sunil Narine was the only KKR bowler to exert any real control, finishing with incredible figures of 1/24 from four overs.

Earlier, Narine again starred with the bat alongside Englishman Phil Salt.

The dynamic opening pair continued their destructive recent form with a brutal stand of 138 in only 62 deliveries.

West Indian Narine was first to fall for 71 before Salt followed soon after- left-armer Sam Curran winning a fiery battle of England teammates when he castled Salt for a glorious 75.

However, Salt was fortunate to pass fifty are being dropped twice- Curran shelling a chance at mid-off prior to Kagiso Rabada fumbling a regulation chance when he was on 35.

Narine was also reprieved on 16 in an extremely slopping fielding effort from the visitors.

Despite both openers departing, the momentum persisted as the home side peppered the boundary ropes with regularity.

Andre Russell came and went for 24, while the middle-order pairing of Venkatesh and Shreyas Iyer added a flourish at the back end of the innings.

Shreyas plundered 23 off his opposition captain Curran in the 18th over- including three sixes and a four.

It was an evening to forget for Curran with the ball, collecting figures of 1/60 from four overs.

PBKS are languishing in eighth place while KKR remain second despite defeat.