'42 SIXES UNBELIEVABLE!': Records galore as PBKS pull off T20's greatest ever run chase against KKR

Gone are the days when scoring 200 was enough in a T20 match. Now even 250 isn't a safe total. In a first in the history of IPL, a team has chased down a score of beyond 250. It is Punjab Kings, who have pulled off the unprecedented against KKR at Eden Gardens. Batting first Kolkata Knight Riders put on a mammoth 261 on the board, and in reply, PBKS got to the finish line in 18.4 overs with 8 wickets in hand. Unbelievable!

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Records galore during KKR vs PBKS IPL 2024 game

The IPL 2024 is proving to be a peculiar season where records get shattered every other day. As SRH put on the break on the peddle, KKR and PBKS have scripted history. It was raining sixes at the Eden Gardens. A total of 42 sixes were hit in the KKR vs PBKS match. Aside from that, it is the highest-ever successful run chase in the history of T20 cricket. To summarise, here are some of the records created/broken in this match.

• Highest team total in a chase - 262/2 
• Highest successful T20 chase - 262
• Highest successful chase in IPL- 262
• Most sixes in an IPL Innings. - 24 sixes by PBKS
• Most sixes in an IPL match- 42 sixes (PBKS-24+18-KKR)

Notably, the previous highest successful chase came between the South Africa vs West Indies match that took place in 2023. In the game, SA chased down 259. However, breaching past that it is the KKR vs PBKS.

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KKR vs PBKS: Punjab Kings did the unthinkable

Led by Jonny Bairstow's incredible hundred, Punjab Kings set a new world record for the highest run chase in the history of T20 cricket as they overhauled the 262-run target set by Kolkata Knight Riders with eight wickets to spare in the IPL here on Friday.

PBKS bettered South Africa's 259/4 against West Indies in March last year. In the IPL, Rajasthan Royals held the previous record for chasing down 224 against KKR at Eden Gardens recently, equaling the record they had set against then Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2020 in Sharjah.

Sent into bat, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 261/6 but PBKS completed the chase with eight balls to spare.

KKR rode on a 138-run partnership between openers Phil Salt (75 off 37 balls) and Sunil Narine (71 off 32 balls).

The batters that followed the openers then consolidated the home team's position and took them to an imposing total.

In reply, PBKS too were off to a great start and scored 93 runs for the loss of Prabhsimran Singh's wicket in the powerplay.

Prabhsimran blazed away to a 20-ball 54 before getting run out. Bairstow continued his brutal onslaught to help PBKS pull off a stunning win. Bairstow (108 off 48 balls) was well-supported by the in-from Shashank Singh who smashed 68 in only 28 balls.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders: 261/6 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 75, Sunil Narine 71).

Punjab Kings: 262/2 in 18.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 108, Prabhsimran Singh 54, Shashank Singh 68).

(With inputs from PTI)