Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders finally opened their account in IPL 2026, albeit in frustrating circumstances, as their clash against Punjab Kings was abandoned due to heavy rain and a wet outfield at Eden Gardens on Monday — marking the first washout of the season.The game was called off after persistent rain and strong winds made it impossible to resume play, despite officials extending the cut-off time to 11:14 pm. Both teams shared a point each, with Punjab moving to the top of the table with five points from three matches, while KKR now have one point from three outings.Early blows before rain interruptionBefore the weather intervened, KKR were in early trouble at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs after opting to bat first. PBKS’s pace attack, led by Xavier Bartlett and Arshdeep Singh, made immediate inroads.Bartlett struck twice in quick succession, removing Finn Allen (6) and Cameron Green (4) in a fiery spell. Allen struggled against Arshdeep’s movement in the opening over before edging one soon after off Bartlett, while Green’s poor run continued with another low score.With the hosts reeling, skipper Ajinkya Rahane and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi attempted to stabilise the innings before a steady drizzle brought play to a halt. What initially seemed like a brief interruption soon turned into a full-blown thunderstorm, with gusty winds rattling even the iconic Eden Gardens press box.First washout of the seasonDespite a brief lull in rain around 10:30 pm that allowed ground staff to begin clean-up operations, the conditions did not improve sufficiently for play to resume. On-field umpires, along with officials and team captains, conducted an inspection before deciding to call off the match around 11 pm.The outfield had developed puddles near the boundary lines, and safety concerns ultimately took precedence.Interestingly, this is the second consecutive season where a KKR-PBKS fixture at Eden Gardens has been washed out, underlining the venue’s recent weather struggles.For KKR, the shared point offers some relief after two defeats, though their search for a first win continues. They will next face Lucknow Super Giants at home, with rain again forecast for that fixture on Thursday.Meanwhile, the action shifts to Guwahati, where Rajasthan Royals host Mumbai Indians in the 13th match of the season on Tuesday.
