IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders get off the mark, thanks to a washout

KOLKATA: Lightning struck twice at Eden Gardens on Monday as the IPL clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings was washed out for the second successive season due to heavy showers, leaving both teams to share a point.

The hosts wouldn’t mind the abandonment too much as it helped them open their account after back-to-back defeats. Punjab, however, may feel shortchanged after reducing Kolkata to 25/2 in just 3.4 overs before rain stopped play at 7.47pm. Though showers relented around 10.30pm, conditions didn’t allow even a five-over contest.




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Punjab pacer Xavier Bartlett made an immediate impact, striking twice in his opening two overs. The Australian removed Finn Allen and Cameron Green with probing outswingers, both edging to wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh, as Kolkata slipped to 16/2 before rain interrupted proceedings.

Despite the dodgy forecast, Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s decision to bat first after winning the toss raised eyebrows. Searching for momentum after a slow start to the season, the Knight Riders opted for a bold shakeup, leaving out key spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine due to injury and illness respectively.

It was the first time since 2019 that both were left out together. Kolkata fielded only one specialist spinner in Anukul Roy and handed pacer Navdeep Saini a debut. Rovman Powell, drafted in for Narine, also didn’t get a chance to take the field.
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