"Good start was key": Bairstow after PBKS beat KKR by 8 wickets
He played an unbeaten 108-run knock from 48 balls at a strike rate of 225. The English cricketer also hammered 8 fours and 9 overhead boundaries.
Jonny Bairstow (ANI)
KOLKATA: Following his side's 8-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Eden Gardens, Punjab Kings (PBKS) wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow said that they had a good start while chasing the target. Bairstow came up with a stellar performance against KKR on Friday.
He played an unbeaten 108-run knock from 48 balls at a strike rate of 225. The English cricketer also hammered 8 fours and 9 overhead boundaries.
While speaking at the post-match presentation, Bairstow said that the good start in the second inning was key to helping them win the game. He accepted that they were "quiet" while batting against KKR spinner Sunil Narine.
The 34-year-old showered praise on middle-order batter Shashank Singh and called him "special".
"We got off to a good start. That was the key. They got off to a good start as well thanks to Sunil. You have to take risks. Sometimes luck will go your way. Some days it won't be your day. Tried to whack it as far as possible. If it is in your area, you had to go. We had a couple of quiet overs when Sunil was bowling as we knew how important he is for them. Shashank Singh is a special player. The knowledge he has had been amazing. How clean he hit it! Was indeed very special," Bairstow said.
Coming to the match, Punjab sent Kolkata to bat first after winning the toss. Following this, Sunil Narine (71) and Philip Salt (75) delighted the Eden Gardens crowd with an exhilarating batting display and obliterated Punjab Kings (PBKS) bowlers to power KKR to 261/6 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh led the PBKS bowling unit after he picked up two wickets.
During the run chase, Jonny Bairstow (108) and Shashank Singh (68) played an unbeaten knock to chase down the massive target and script history. Narine was the only wicket-taker for the KKR.
Out of eight matches, KKR have registered five victories, collecting 10 points in the IPL 2024 standings, staying at the number 2 position. Meanwhile, Punjab hold the eighth place with six points after winning three of nine games.