Kamal Ghorui
A light-hearted moment off the field grabbed attention even as rain had the final say in the clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens on Monday. Soon after the match was abandoned, Shresta Iyer, sister of PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, shared a fun Instagram reel that quickly went viral. In the clip, she joked in Punjabi, “Saade Punjabiyan da dil vadda hunda hai, lo de ditta ek point,” playfully suggesting that Punjab had generously “given away” a point after the washout. On the field, however, it was a frustrating evening for both sides as persistent rain and a wet outfield prevented any further play. The match was halted with KKR struggling at 25/2 in 3.4 overs, and despite multiple inspections and a revised cut-off time, conditions never improved enough for a restart. The shared point helped Punjab Kings climb to the top of the table with five points from three games, continuing their strong start to the season. In contrast, KKR finally opened their account but remain under pressure with just one point from three matches. Earlier in the evening, the decision by KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane to bat first appeared to backfire almost immediately. With both frontline spinners unavailable — Sunil Narine due to illness and Varun Chakravarthy nursing an injury — their bowling resources were already stretched. Punjab’s pace attack made full use of the overcast conditions. Xavier Bartlett struck twice in quick succession, removing Finn Allen and Cameron Green in the same over, leaving KKR in early trouble. Arshdeep Singh had already set the tone with a probing opening over, making life difficult for the batters. Allen survived a couple of close calls but eventually edged one trying to force the pace, while Green’s lean run continued with another early dismissal. With KKR reeling, Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi began a cautious rebuild before rain interrupted proceedings. The weather worsened as strong winds and heavy showers lashed the ground, even causing the iconic hanging press box at Eden Gardens to sway. Though there was a brief window when the covers came off and the outfield looked largely intact, puddles near the boundary and lingering moisture meant play could not resume. After multiple inspections involving the umpires and officials, including Sourav Ganguly, the match was officially called off at 11 pm. The abandoned fixture mirrored last season’s encounter between the two sides at the same venue, which was also washed out. For KKR, the concerns continue both with form and availability, while Punjab Kings march on with momentum — and, as Shresta’s viral reel cheekily put it, perhaps a “big-hearted” point.
