Kamal Ghorui
Kolkata Knight Riders had a tough start to their IPL 2026 season, losing their first two matches, and things did not improve early in their game against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens on Monday.After choosing to bat first, KKR lost Finn Allen and Cameron Green early, reaching 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs. Captain Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi were at the crease when rain stopped play.KKR, in search of their first win of the season, were rocked early as Xavier Bartlett struck twice in the space of three balls.Displaying fine control over swing and seam, the Australian pacer removed KKR’s two star overseas recruits Finn Allen (6) and Cameron Green (4), who had been promoted to No. 3.The decision to bat first under cloudy conditions was questioned by former players Kevin Pietersen, Anil Kumble, Saba Karim and Ravichandran Ashwin.During the rain break, cameras showed KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan in a discussion with team CEO Venky Mysore. The conversation appeared serious, with Mysore listening while Shah Rukh Khan spoke and used hand gestures.It is not known what the discussion was about. Shah Rukh Khan was attending his first KKR match of IPL 2026. He was present at the ground with his manager Pooja Dadlani and daughter Suhana Khan, who was seen watching nearby.“Looks like they are having a similar conversation. The Badshah of Bollywood, the owner of KKR. An intense chat with KKR CEO Venky Mysore,” said the host during the rain break show.For this match, KKR made changes to their playing XI, bringing in Rovman Powell and Navdeep Saini as Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy were unavailable.Punjab Kings went with the same team from their previous match.
