The KKR-Salt combination pushes PBKS to 261-6

Kolkata Knight Riders gave Punjab Kings a difficult chase on Friday after racing to 261 for 6, the highest-ever IPL total at the Eden Gardens, thanks to yet another fantastic start.

As usual, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine were in a homicidal mood as they put up 138 runs for the first wicket in only 63 balls. Both made full use of their reprieves to provide a good starting point.

After being dropped by Harpreet Brar at backward point when she was 16 and then using DRS to overturn a leg-before ruling when she was 59, Narine was caught at deep backward point while attempting to make another huge one. His 71 included nine fours and four sixes off of 32 deliveries. Salt scored a 37-ball 75 with six fours and six sixes after scoring 34 and 35.

The Knights were driven by the need to set a “unassailable” goal for the visitors, as they saw dew beginning to appear halfway through their innings and had the chance to bowl on a better surface with a drenched ball. After sending up the order, Andre Russell made a cameo of 24 off 12 with two fours and two sixes before being caught off guard by a bouncer from Arshdeep Singh. His hastily placed hook just reached square-leg.

A single drop The Knights surpassed both their previous Eden high of 235, achieved by the Chennai Super Kings against them last year, and their best at the Eden, a 232 against the Mumbai Indians in 2019. Venkatesh Iyer stuck around for a 23-ball 39 that featured three fours and a couple of sixes, while captain Shreyas Iyer scored 28 off 10 with three sixes and a four.

It was surprising that stand-in captain Sam Curran kept back left-arm orthodox bowler Harpreet Brar till the 12th over, despite sometimes experimenting with his bowling lineup without much success.

After seven games, Mitchell Starc withdrew. On yet another sweltering evening, Dushmantha Chameera, a right-arm bowler from Sri Lanka, made his debut for the Knights by replacing the left-arm fast Aussie.