Cricket turning into baseball: Sam Curran thrilled after PBKS’ record chase vs KKR

PBKS stand-in captain Sam Curran marvelled at the hitting ability of batters in IPL 2024, remarking that cricket has turned into baseball — a sport in which home runs are a norm.

Curran’s comments came after a total of 532 runs were scored and a record tally of 42 sixes were hit in the IPL 2024 match between PBKS and KKR in Kolkata. The visiting team chased down a mammoth total of 262 to script the highest-successful chase in the history of T20 cricket.

Punjab ended a 4-match losing streak and they did so, in style, chasing down 262 in just 18.3 overs. Jonny Bairstow, who was struggling for form in the first half of the season, hit 108 off just 48 balls, his second IPL century. Prabhsimran Singh, who came in as Impact Player, set the tone for the chase with a ruthless assault on KKR’s new-ball bowlers, smashing 5 sixes and 4 boundaries for his 20-ball 54. Shashank Singh, ‘the find of the season’, hammered 68 from just 28 balls as PBKS made light work of the Himalayan target.

“Very pleasing. Most importantly the win, cricket has turned to baseball, isn’t it? We’re delighted with the two points. We had a tough few weeks as a team. Forget about the scores, we deserved this victory,” Sam Curran said.

Curran was delighted for Jonny Bairstow, who struggled for form in the first half of the IPL 2024 season with 96 runs in the first 6 matches. The stand-in captain also heaped praise on Shashank for his consistent show with the bat for PBKS.

“Really pleased for Jonny, he’s been on tour for a long time and was eager to score. Shashank, wow, he was promoted to No. 4 and he’s been our find of the season,” Curran said.

CURRAN ON BATTING DOMINANCE
KKR’s heroic batting show went in vain as their bowlers struggled to defend a 200-plus total for the 3rd successive time. Sunil Narine, who stormed to the 2nd spot in the Orange Cap standings, hit a 32-ball 71 while Phil Salt continued his good run, smashing 75 off 38 before Venkatesh Iyer (38 off 23) and Shreyas Iyer (29 off 10) came up with late cameos to lift KKR to their second-highest total in IPL.

IPL 2024 has been a six-hitting fest. As many as 7 totals over 260 have been scored in the current season. Only once — 263 by RCB vs Pune Warriors India in 2013 — was it done between the inaugural edition in 2008 and 2023.

Trying to explain the reason behind the mad batting show by teams in IPL 2024, Sam Curran said there are a variety of contributing factors.

“Loads of different things, guys can hit balls for long periods of time, the coaches, training, the dew, dot balls become wide after reviews and you get the extra ball. Stats are going of the window. For us,” he said.