Arya and Prabhsimran propel PBKS to 201 against KKR

Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh scored half-centuries to take Punjab Kings to 201 on a pitch that almost everyone said was "very, very slow". They were almost obsessed with not over-hitting, holding their shape and relying more on their timing, adding 120 for the first wicket, PBKS' only century stand this IPL. Arya scored 69 off 35, Prabhsimran 83 off 49, and even though the last six overs produced only 42, PBKS were confident they had scored an above-par total.

On the slow track with grip available for those bowling into the pitch, PBKS took 74 off the eight overs of spin between Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. Even Harshit Rana, Kolkata Knight Riders' slower-ball specialist, was allowed to bowl only two overs for 27 runs.

Arya, in particular, was clever in his targeting of the bowlers. He took 50 off 20 balls off pace, and just 19 off 15 balls of spin. Prabhsimran took the spinners on, taking 41 off 22 balls bowled by them. Both openers were measured in the first couple of overs, getting used to the pace in the pitch, before targeting the fast bowlers. Arya preferred timing - his first four fours were driven between mid-off and cover - and Prabshimran struggled early, getting to only 34 off 32 at one point.

With an audacious switch-hit six off Narine, Prabhsimran turned his innings around, in the process consigning Narine to a 22-run over. His worst has been 23 in all T20 cricket. Prabhsimran scored 49 off the last 17 balls he faced; Shreyas Iyer managed only five in a 40-run stand with him.

That the death overs were not easy to hit will only encourage PBKS. Andre Russell managed reverse-swing, Narine and Varun conceded just 13 in their final overs, and Vaibhav Arora drew purchase when he bowled slower balls. KKR were left hoping for heavy dew.