Lynn and Gambhir smash IPL record with brutal stand to ease KKR home
Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir dished out some brutal punishment to the Gujarat Lions bowlers in an Indian Premier League record opening stand as Kolkata Knight Riders coasted to an incredible 10-wicket victory.
Suresh Raina leapfrogged Virat Kohli to become the highest run-scorer in IPL history with a superb unbeaten 68 from only 51 balls, enabling last year's table-toppers the Lions to post 183-4 in Rajkot on Friday.
That appeared to be a challenging total, but openers Lynn and Gambhir needed only 14.5 overs to get KKR home at a canter in their first game of the tournament.
Powerful Australia batsman Lynn, so impressive for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, blasted eight sixes and hit six fours to finish 93 not out off only 40 deliveries, while Gambhir needed just 48 balls to make a brilliant unbeaten 76.
Lynn and Gambhir, who found the boundary 12 times, broke the record set by Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan when the West Indies opener made his sensational 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore four years ago.
Openers dazzle in opening match!
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 7, 2017
This is now a record partnership for the first wicket in #IPL history overtaking 167 (Gayle-Dilshan). pic.twitter.com/hFLn4kbEW9
Brendon McCullum (35) got a start but failed to kick on, falling to Kuldeep Yadav (2-25), before skipper Raina cut loose with seven boundaries to keep the Lions on course for a good total.
Dinesh Karthik (47) fell just short of a half-century in a brisk 25-ball knock, but that was nothing compared to what was to come in a remarkable run chase.
The Lions, missing two key bowlers in the form of Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja, were stunned as Lynn and Gambhir brought up the century stand in the eighth over.
Man-of-the-match Lynn reached his half-century off only 18 balls by taking 23 off a Dwayne Smith over and finished off the job after he was put down by McCullum on the boundary, leaving Gujarat shell-shocked.