Team India and Rajasthan Royals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called for SOS (Save Our Souls) on bowlers during the highest-scoring contest between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Friday, April 26.
The IPL 2024 clash between KKR and PBKS witnessed run-feast as both sides brutally targeted each other's bowlers with raining boundaries and sixes. After putting to bat by Punjab Kings skipper Sam Curran, Kolkata Knight Riders showed no mercy to opposition's bowling attack as they posted their second highest total in the history of IPL, putting up 261/6 in 20 overs on the board and set a 262-run target for PBKS to chase.
Phil Salt (75) and Sunil Narine (71) unleashed their carnage at top as they formed 138-run partnership in just 10.2 overs. Venkatesh Iyer (39), Shreyas Iyer (28) and Andre Russell (24) chipped in to help KKR post a solid total.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin came out in support of bowlers when Punjab Kings were on the brink of scripting history in T20 cricket. Taking to his X handle (formerly Twitter), veteran off-spinner tweeted, "Save the bowlers” someone plsss."
Punjab Kings scriped highest run-chase in the history of T20 with 8 balls to spare. The opening pair of Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh (54) formed a 93-run partnership until the latter's unfortunate dismissal. Then, Rilee Rossouw chipped in with 26 off 16 balls and stitched a crucial 85-run stand for the second wicket with Bairstow.
After Rossouw's dismissal, Bairstow was joined by Shashank Singh at the crease and the pair unleashed their assault on Kolkata Knight Riders' bowlers as formed an unbeaten 84-run partnership. Jonny Bairstow scored his maiden century of the season, scoring a 108 off 48 balls. He required just 23 balls to reach the three-figure after completing his fifty in 22 balls.
Shashank batted up the order and significantly contributed with a splendid knock of 68 off 28 balls at an impressive strike rate of 242.86.
Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders combined smashed a record T20 sixes
Apart from record-chase in T20 cricket, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders smashed 42 sixes in the IPL 2024 clash, which is a record in the format.
KKR smashed 18 maximums while PBKS clobbered 23 sixes in the high-scoring IPL 2024 clash. Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings to record 40 sixes combined in a match. The record for the most sixes was previously between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians In IPL 2024 (38).
In the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, a total of seven bowlers had conceded over 40 runs in their spells, with Harshit Rana conceding the most by giving away 61 runs without taking a wicket with an economy rate of 15.20 in four overs.
