Biggest Chase, Most Sixes: Records Galore as PBKS Down KKR in Historic Chase at Eden Gardens

Punjab Kings posted a magnificent 8-wicket win against the Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL 2024 match played at the Eden Gardens on Friday .

PBKS chased down the target of 262 runs with eight deliveries to spare as Jonny Bairstow starred with an unbeaten ton to take the visitors over the finish line.

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The match was remarkable for multiple reasons, headlined by the fact that it was the highest-ever successful run chase in the history of T20 cricket. The game also witnessed a record 42 sixers across both innings’, an unprecedented feat in the annals of the shortest format of the game.

The chase eclipsed South Africa’s chase of 259 runs against West Indies in 2023, while the number of maximums scored in Friday’s game surpassed that of the game between SRH and MI a couple of weeks ago.

Highest scores in a T20 run-chase

262/2 – PBKS vs KKR, Kolkata, IPL 2024

262/7 – RCB vs SRH, Bengaluru, IPL 2024

259/4 – South Africa vs West Indies, Centurion, 2023

254/3 – Middlesex vs Surrey, The Oval, T20 Blast 2023

253/8 – Quetta Gladiators vs Multan Sultans, Rawalpindi, PSL 2023

Most sixes in an IPL innings

24 – PBKS vs KKR, Kolkata, 2024

22 – SRH vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2024

22 – SRH vs DC, Delhi, 2024

21 – RCB vs PWI, Bengaluru, 2013

Punjab also broke the record for most number of sixers in a single innings as they smashed an insane 24 maximums out of the park led by Bairstow’s contribution of 108 runs, which included 9 sixers.

Most sixes in a Men’s T20 match

42 – KKR vs PBKS, Kolkata, IPL 2024

38 – SRH vs MI, Hyderabad, IPL 2024

38 – RCB vs SRH, Bengaluru, IPL 2024

37 – Balkh Legends v Kabul Zwanan, Sharjah, APL 2018/19

37 – SKNP vs JT, Basseterre, CPL 2019

PBKS stand-in skipper Sam Curran put the hosts to bat first after winning the toss and KKR were offered an electric start by Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, who put up a 138-run opening stand before the Windies all-rounder was scalped by Rahul Chahar for 71 runs.

Salt made 75 runs before being castled by Curran’s jaffa, while the home team had contributions of 39 runs from Venkatesh Iyer, 24 from Andre Russell and a quickfire 28 from skipper Shreyas Iyer as they posted a mammoth 261-run total.

PBKS started their chase on a positive note as Prabhsimran steamrolled his way to a half-century in less than 20 deliveries, while Bairstow bided his time settling in. When the Indian opener fell to a runout, Bairstow took the initiative and went after the KKR bowling attack smashing them all around the park.

Rilee Russouw added 26 runs before being scalped by Narine, but an unbroken 84 runs stand between Shashank Singh, who was promoted up the order, and centurion Bairstow helped PBKS cross the line with 8 balls to spare in an incredible game of attacking cricket.