Jonny Bairstow during the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019
Match 38 of the IPL 2022 is set to take place on Monday, April 25, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai between the Punjab Kings and the Chennai Super Kings. Both teams aren’t having a greatest of seasons so far, with Punjab Kings in eighth place with three wins and Chennai Super Kings in ninth place with two.
This will be the second clash between the two ‘Kings’ sides this season, the first encounter having been easily won by PBKS by a margin of 54 runs. While their openers Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal have not yet really hit their stride, Englishman Jonny Bairstow could make all the difference for the team.
Bairstow was a golden asset for his previous franchise, SRH, and was bought in the IPL 2022 mega auction by PBKS for a whopping ₹6.75 crore. Having played competitive T20 matches around the world, Bairstow is just 55 short of joining the 4,000-run club in T20 cricket.
Having played some of his best knocks in the previous three editions of the IPL, Bairstow could peak at any moment this season. On that note, let’s take a look at three of his best knocks in the tournament’s history.
#1 114 (56) – SRH vs RCB in IPL 2019
Jonny Bairstow hit his maiden IPL century against RCB in IPL 2019
In the 11th clash of IPL 2019, RCB won the toss and put SRH in to bat at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. They regretted doing so quickly enough as the Bangalore bowlers failed to contain the Orange Army’s openers and both David Warner and Jonny Bairstow stitched together a partnership of 185 runs.
Bairstow scored his maiden IPL century, hitting 114 off just 56 deliveries, including 12 boundaries and seven maximums. Warner too scored a century off 55 balls and their partnership helped steer SRH to 231/2.
In response, RCB were folded for 113, thanks to Mohammad Nabi’s 4/11 in four overs. SRH registered one of their biggest victories (118 runs) that night and Bairstow was the natural choice for Player of the Match.
#2 80* (43) – SRH vs KKR in IPL 2019
Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 80 off 43 balls in the second match against KKR in IPL 2019 and was laced with seven fours and four sixes
When SRH met KKR for the second time in IPL 2019, it went down as a one-sided match, thanks to Jonny Bairstow. The Knight Riders were put in to bat and, with the help of Chris Lynn’s half-century, posted 159/8.
However, SRH openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow made a mockery of KKR’s bowling attack as they helped SRH chase down the total in just 15 overs. Bairstow played an exceptional knock of 80*(43), an innings laced with seven fours and four sixes.
SRH won the game by nine wickets and Bairstow yet again proved to be SRH’s knight in orange armor.
#3 97 (55) – SRH vs PBKS in IPL 2020
Jonny Bairstow came close to scoring his second IPL century, hitting 97 off 55 deliveries, against Punjab in IPL 2020
Bairstow came closest to his second century when his current and former team met in IPL 2020. Sporting orange colors then, Bairstow walked out to bat first with partner David Warner.
The successful opening pair produced yet another scintillating stand, scoring 160 runs with ease. While Warner fell in the 16th over after scoring a half-century, Baristow kept pushing forward from one end. SRH concluded their innings at 201/6 with a few cameos, with Jonny Bairstow scoring 97 off 55 deliveries, including seven fours and six sixes.
In reply, the Punjab batsmen kept falling like nine pins and found themselves in a fix. West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran hit 77 off 37 balls, falling prey to the brilliant Rashid Khan but his knock helped Punjab reach132. SRH won the game by a margin of 69 runs and Bairstow was yet again adjudged Player of the Match.
