Eden Gardens became a haven for batters on Friday, April 26, 2024, night. Despite leaking a mammoth 261, Punjab Kings chased it down with aplomb -- a record T20 feat.
However, their triumph was marred by sloppy fielding.
Three dropped catches in the Powerplay, including Sunil Narine and Phil Salt early on, proved costly. Harpreet Brar missed Narine on 16, while Sam Curran and Kagiso Rabada dropped Salt on 34 and 35 respectively.
Kolkata Knight Riders weren't much better in the field, but Punjab's lapses were glaring.
The standout catches from the match:
Shreyas Iyer
Narine deceived Rile Rossouw with a clever change of pace, enticing him to go for a powerful stroke down the ground. However, Rossouw's miscue resulted in a tame looped catch to mid-off, where Shreyas Iyer made no mistake.
It was a crucial breakthrough for KKR, ending Rossouw's promising cameo. The ball was floated well outside off, tempting Rossouw into a slog sweep, but he could only manage a top-edge.
Shreyas, stationed at cover, positioned himself perfectly and made the catch look easy.
Ashutosh Sharma
Harshal Patel outfoxed Rinku Singh with a well-disguised slower ball outside off, tempting him to go for a big shot.
Rinku failed to connect cleanly, resulting in a mistimed shot that looped towards short third. Ashutosh Sharma displayed exceptional athleticism and presence of mind as he tracked back while running and held on to a superb catch.
Despite the ball coming off the outer half of Rinku's bat, Ashutosh maintained his focus and completed the catch with confidence. This dismissal saw the end of Rinku's as he departed for 5 runs off 4 balls.
Kagiso Rabada
Arshdeep Singh's wide and full delivery seemed innocuous, but it led to Shreyas's downfall. Having to stretch for the ball, he attempted to power it for a maximum but only managed to slice it straight to deep third.
Rabada, positioned at deep backward point, showcased his athleticism by moving swiftly to his left and securing a crucial catch.
Harshal Patel
Arshdeep's short delivery caught Andre Russell off guard, leading to his dismissal. Despite the field placement suggesting otherwise, Russell was late on his pull shot and could only send it as far as square leg.
The drop by Harshal Patel earlier didn't prove costly as Arshdeep struck again, claiming a crucial wicket for Punjab Kings. With a well-directed short ball aimed at the body, Arshdeep generated enough height, forcing Russell into an awkward position.
Russell attempted the hook shot but failed to connect cleanly, resulting in a top-edge that soared straight up in the air. Positioned near square leg, Harshal remained composed and secured the catch without any fuss, ensuring Russell's departure for 24 runs off 12 balls.
Jonny Bairstow
Punjab finally capitalised on an opportunity as they secured Narine's wicket. Despite three previous chances that went begging, they managed to hold onto this one.
It was a short and flat delivery outside off from Rahul Chahar, tempting Narine to go for the big shot over long on. However, Narine couldn't quite get the desired elevation, resulting in a catch that Bairstow gleefully accepted.
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