Top responses as PBKS records the most successful chase in T20 cricket with to Jonny Bairstow’s 45-ball hundred

IPL 2024: On Friday, April 26, Punjab Kings opener Jonny Bairstow, who had been benched for the games against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT), returned to the playing eleven and stormed back to form with a 45-ball century against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The England player had a difficult time in his first six IPL 2024 matches before being sacked by the PBKS management. He had struggled in the 5-Test series against India. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he scored eight runs to begin his career. In the next two innings, he scored 22, 0, and 15.

At the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, however, the seasoned player stormed back to form with a brilliant century against the hosts, KKR. He reached the three-figure milestone by smashing eight fours and as many sixes.

Bairstow’s century of 45 balls is tied for the second quickest century ever by a hitter for the Punjab Kings. With his 38-ball century against RCB in the 2013 Indian Premier League, David Miller owns the record. In the 2020 IPL, Mayank Agarwal amassed a century off 45 balls against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

This was Jonny Bairstow’s fourth T20 century and his second IPL century. The Bairtsow fireworks made it possible for the Punjab Kings to successfully chase down 262, the greatest chase in T20 cricket history. Out of 48, he ended at 108. There were nine sixes and eight fours in the inning.

Phil Salt (75 off 37) and Sunil Narine (71 off 32), the KKR openers, had earlier in the game put up a 138-run partnership off 63 balls. With helpful assistance from Andre Russell (24), Venkatesh Iyer (39), and Shreyas Iyer (28), Kolkata achieved their second 250-plus score in the IPL 2024.