IPL 2017, Stats: Kolkata Knight Riders smash the highest powerplay score in IPL history
History was created at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru when Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine propelled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the highest ever powerplay score in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Against a woefully misfiring Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowling attack, the opening duo added 105 runs from the first six overs and enabled their team to overtake the previous mark of 100 runs set by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2014 edition.
Chasing 159, KKR surged to a powerful start as comeback man Lynn forged a belligerent opening combination with pinch-hitter, Narine. The two batsmen launched an uninhibited salvo from both ends to plunder as many as 105 runs from the first six overs. That they managed such a feat without getting separated was even more remarkable.
The right-hander set the tone for the blitzkrieg by hammering Aniket Choudhary for two fours and a six off successive deliveries in the first over of the innings. Leg-spinner Samuel Badree managed to sneak in a quiet over by restricting the flow of his Caribbean compatriot Narine.
However, RCB skipper Virat Kohli’s decision to bring wrist-spin from both ends backfired badly. Yuzvendra Chahal was taken to task by the confident Lynn who helped himself to 14 runs from the over. Badree’s second over went a long way in releasing the floodgates as the southpaw read the googly smartly and smashed three consecutive sixes.
Unleashing a flurry of boundaries off the hapless bowling of Sreenath Aravind, Narine etched his name in the record books by equalling the record for the fastest half-century in IPL history. Similar to Yusuf Pathan's knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2014 edition, he took just 15 deliveries to get to the fifty-mark.
Extra Cover: Sunil Narine equals the record for the fastest fifty in IPL history
Lynn piled on the agony for the hosts by continuing the carnage in the final over of the Power Play phase. Even though only two fielders can be slotted outside the inner circle during the first six overs, KKR’s assault was hitherto unseen in the tournament. From 105/0, they cruised to the target in style and all but sealed a place in the play-offs.
During a qualifier game in the 2014 season against Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium, Suresh Raina‘s thunderous stroke-play powered CSK to the 100-run mark at the end of the first six overs. However, his 25-ball 87 was not enough to effect a victory.
Here are the top five Power Play scores in IPL history.
| Team | Score | Wickets | Opponent | Venue | Match Result | Season |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 105 | 0 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Won | 2017 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 100 | 2 | Kings XI Punjab | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Lost | 2014 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 90 | 0 | Mumbai Indians | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Won | 2015 |
| Kochi Tuskers Kerala | 87 | 2 | Rajasthan Royals | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore | Won | 2011 |
| Kings XI Punjab | 86 | 1 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Won | 2014 |
(Note: All Statistics are as of 7th May 2017 at the end of the RCB-KKR clash in Bengaluru)