‘Nobody in the world like Jonny Bairstow when he hits top level’ – PBKS opener’s 19-ball 50 stuns Twitter

A Jonny Bairstow blitzkrieg was on display at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday. He scored his second consecutive half-century for the Punjab Kings’ in their fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore, smashing 66 off just 29 balls at an unbelievable strike-rate of 227. He brought up his half-century off just 19 balls, and struck four fours and seven sixes during his blistering innings.

Bairstow wasted no time to get going, hitting a six off Glenn Maxwell’s opening over to get the ball rolling for PBKS. He then proceeded to lay waste to Josh Hazelwood, Maxwell’s new ball partner, bludgeoning two sixes and two fours off an over that bled for 22 runs. Mohammed iraj was meted out the same treatment – his two overs went for 13 and 23 runs respectively. The latter involved him being bludgeoned for three sixes and a four.

The openening stand between Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan added 60 off 30 balls, with Bairstow responsible for 37 of those runs in just over two overs faced. Dhawan was dismissed after making a brisk 21, but that didn’t stop the Bairstow train.

PBKS raced to 83 in the powerplay, with Bairstow having scored 59 off 22. This is the highest powerplay score by an team this season, beating the Delhi Capitals’ 81 which incidentally came against PBKS themselves. Wanindu Hasaranga put a slight break on the run-rate with the wicket of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, but that brought the in-form Liam Livingstone to the crease.

Bairstow's 66(29) is such a typical #PunjabKings innings. Keep going, keep taking chances and back the rest of the batting to do the same.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 13, 2022

There’s nobody in the world like Jonny Bairstow when he hits top level. Fast starts, fast middle overs, pace spin everything will go. That’s why Punjab backed backed and backed him

— Dave (@CricketDave27) May 13, 2022

Those were some unbelievable hits from Bairstow. To pick those balls up from those lengths and get that sort of elevation. Amazing.

— Himanish Ganjoo (@hganjoo153) May 13, 2022

Credit to the batter. Hazlewood bowls the hard length – and extra bounce.

Even if the conditions are good for batting, not so easy to tonk such a bowler through the line.

Lots and lots of credit to Bairstow. https://t.co/cqXZBtHrZV

— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) May 13, 2022

That's what you get when you have Jonny Bairstow opening the innings and not waiting in the dugout.

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) May 13, 2022