Rain had the last laugh in the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings IPL 2026 match in Kolkata on Monday. KKR had gone two down, losing the wickets of Finn Allen and Cameron Green, when rain forced the match to be stopped at around 7:50 pm. The match never resumed and was eventually called off at 11 pm. Kolkata Knight Riders bagged their first point of the season courtesy of the no-result. After the shared points, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer‘s sister Shresta, who is a professional dancer and choreographer, put up a hilarious post. In the video, she said, “Saade Punjabiyan da dil vadda hunda ae. Lo, ditta ek point. (We Punjabis are big-hearted. So, we gave you a point).”
When the initial spell of rain fell on Eden Gardens, KKR were struggling at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs. The proceedings never restarted despite the cut-off time being pushed to 11.14 pm.
PBKS too received a point and moved atop the table for the time being with five points from three games. The Kolkatans now have one point from three matches, ahead of Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, who are yet to open their account.
Incidentally, the fixture between KKR and PBKS here during IPL 2025 was also called off due to rain.
KKR have a third consecutive home match, facing Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday, but rain is predicted on that day as well.
Cutting back to the day’s match, rain and strong winds lashed the venue from 9 pm, gradually turning into a thunderstorm.
The wind was so intense that the unique ‘hanging’ Eden press box, supported by iron beams, shook under the gale force, resembling an earthquake.
The drizzle finally subsided around 10:30 pm, prompting the ground staff to spring into action and remove the covers.
The pitch and outfield appeared largely intact with no significant seepage, although a few puddles had formed near the boundary lines due to water runoff from the covers after they were peeled off.
An inspection followed, with on-field umpires Abhijeet Bengeri and J. Madanagopal assessing conditions.
Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly also checked the firmness of the ground, and after a lengthy discussion with KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane and his Punjab counterpart Shreyas Iyer, the match was called off at 11 pm.
On a day when KKR were without both their frontline spinners – an unwell Sunil Narine and an injured Varun Chakravarthy – their decision to bat first seemed to have backfired spectacularly.
Punjab Kings’ Aussie speedster Xavier Bartlett struck twice in three balls in a fiery second over, removing both star overseas batters – Finn Allen (6) and Cameron Green (4).
Pacer Arshdeep Singh set the tone in the opening over. Allen looked tentative against the left-armer, edging and missing more than once, before Bartlett finished the job in the next over with a fine display of swing and seam.
Allen survived a couple of close shaves – beaten on the edge and nearly undone by a yorker that he somehow dug out for four – but his luck soon ran out.
Attempting an inside-out drive to a length ball outside off, he could only manage a faint nick.
Promoted to No. 3 ahead of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Green, the highest-paid overseas player at Rs 25.20 crore, continued his miserable run, having earlier managed scores of 18 (against Mumbai Indians) and 2 (against Sunrisers Hyderabad). Bartlett struck again with a similar back-of-a-length delivery in the channel, swinging away and inducing another loose poke.
With Bartlett breathing fire and KKR firmly on the back foot, Rahane and Raghuvanshi began to rebuild before steady drizzle halted the proceedings at 7:45 pm.
With Eden Gardens equipped with full ground covers, the ground staff swiftly covered the entire field.
There was a brief respite as the covers began to come off, but rain returned, leaving spectators frustrated as many started leaving.
All this unfolded in front of Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who made his first appearance of the season at the venue, only to witness a rain-hit evening.
The match also witnessed a relatively sparse turnout, with 29,358 spectators in attendance.
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