Kolkata, April 26 (NationPress) For the first time this season at Eden Gardens, a team won the toss and opted to bat first — and Punjab Kings capitalized on the opportunity as Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh teamed up to lift the visitors to an impressive 201/4 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 20 overs.

Fueled by a thrilling opening partnership of 120 runs off 72 balls between the young Priyansh Arya and the audacious Prabhsimran Singh, PBKS managed to set a hefty target against Kolkata Knight Riders, despite a minor setback in the concluding overs.

On a pitch described as "dry" and "very slow" by both captains and coaches, Arya and Prabhsimran showcased their batting prowess early on. Arya, in particular, was in magnificent form from the start, elegantly executing cover drives and punishing any deliveries that were even slightly off length. The duo raced to 43/0 within just four overs, with Arya accounting for all four boundaries struck between mid-off and cover.

The strategy was clear: play safe cricket while capitalizing on poor deliveries, and they managed to dominate the powerplay, finishing at 56/0 after six overs.

Spin was introduced swiftly, with Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine entering the attack. The game slowed down momentarily — only 21 runs came in four overs post the spin introduction — but Arya found another gear. He reached a magnificent fifty off just 27 balls, cleverly targeting the pacers while being cautious against spin. Against fast bowling, Arya was particularly ruthless, scoring 43 off 16 balls, demonstrating maturity well beyond his years.

The partnership between Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh flourished beautifully, as they complemented each other’s batting styles. Arya took on the pace attack, while Prabhsimran gradually picked up the pace after a steady start. Prabhsimran unleashed his full range of strokes as he settled into his innings, hitting a stunning switch-hit six off Narine that left the crowd in awe.

The century partnership was completed in just the 11th over, with PBKS comfortably positioned at 120/1 following a rare expensive over from Sunil Narine — his third-most costly over in T20s, conceding 22 runs. Arya eventually fell for a dazzling 69 off 35 balls, miscuing a hefty shot against Andre Russell, but not before establishing a solid foundation.

Meanwhile, Prabhsimran Singh took charge of the scoring after Arya’s dismissal. After a slow start of 34 off 32 balls, he exploded, scoring 48 runs off his next 15 balls. His fifty arrived off 38 deliveries, and he was on course for a significant hundred before falling for 83 off 49 balls, mistiming a full toss straight to long-off.

Shreyas Iyer managed just 25 off 16 balls, causing a slowdown during a crucial phase. Glenn Maxwell (7) looked dangerous for a brief spell but was once again dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy, who has now sent him back to the pavilion five times in eight innings.

Punjab’s strategy of promoting Marco Jansen ahead of more established players like Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, and Josh Inglis backfired significantly. Jansen struggled to connect with the ball, managing only 3 runs off 7 balls, hindering PBKS' momentum as the innings approached its conclusion.

Despite a slight hiccup in the final five overs, Punjab Kings' innings was anchored by that spectacular opening stand. They concluded their 20 overs at a solid 201/4, a target that appeared even more daunting considering the slow nature of the surface and the noticeable grip and turn for the spinners.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings 201/4 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran 83, Priyansh Arya 69; Vaibhav Arora 2/34, Andre Russell 1/27) against Kolkata Knight Riders.