IPL 2026: Rain mars KKR-PBKS match at Eden Gardens
What's the story
Match 12 of the 2026 Indian Premier League between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings has been washed out. Only 3.4 overs of play happened after KKR won the toss and elected to bat. The hosts were down to 25/2, with Xavier Bartlett exploiting the early swing. Although the rain stopped after 10:30pm, a timely start was not possible. KKR, who lost their opening two matches, finally bagged the first point.
Summary
Summary of initial overs
Ajinkya Rahane's decision to bat first on a tricky surface and with overcast conditions drew flak. Although the KKR skipper and Finn Allen smacked a boundary each in the first over, Bartlett showed a masterclass of swing bowling. The PBKS pacer dismissed Allen and Cameron Green in three balls in his first over. KKR were 25/2 before rain stopped play.
Takeaways
A look at key takeaways
Rahane, at the toss, confirmed the absence of both spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine due to injury and illness, respectively. According to ESPNcricinfo, this marked the first time since April 2019 that both Chakravarthy and Narine missed a match for KKR. And Green continued his nominal run. His scores so far read 18, 2, and 4.
Information
KKR get first point; PBKS reach summit
As mentioned, KKR bagged their first point in IPL 2026 by virtue of rain. Meanwhile, the Kings have reached the summit of the points table with five points. Winning two successive matches, they have surpassed Royal Challengers Bengaluru.