Jonny Bairstow on Friday
smashed a 21-ball half-century to power Punjab Kings to the highest PowerPlay
score in IPL 2022 at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday.

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Asked to bat by Royal
Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis, PBKS got off to a fantastic start
accumulating 83 runs for the loss of one wicket in six overs. With this total,
PBKS surpassed Delhi Capitals’ 81 for nought, who achieved the feat against the
Mohali side. Bairstow scored 59 off 22 balls in the PowerPlay while his opening
partner Shikhar Dhawan fell for 21 off 15 in the fifth over. Bairstow
eventually fell for 66 off 29 balls to Shahbaz Ahmed.

Overall, the record for the
highest PowerPlay score in the IPL belongs to KKR. In the 2017 IPL, KKR openers
Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine smashed 105 against RCB at the Chinnaswamy.

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On Friday, during his
whirlwind knock, Bairstow hit seven sixes and four boundaries.

He started his knock with a
six in the first over bowled by Glenn Maxwell. Then he smacked Josh Hazlewood
around the park to collect 22 runs. 13 runs came off the next over, bowled by Mohammed
Siraj. Hazlewood then came back strong to give away just 7 off the fourth over.

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In the fifth over, Dhawan
started with a six off the first ball by Maxwell but he was bowled by the
Australian spinner in the final delivery as PBKS scored just 10 off it.

But Dhawan’s fall did not
dampen Bairstow’s mood as he smashed 23 off Siraj’s second over of the match.

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Bairstow brought up his
half-century off 21 deliveries and then hit the final ball of the Powerplay for
a six to ensure a brilliant start for Punjab Kings in what is a must-win match
for them this season.