IPL 2026: Washout gives KKR first point after Bartlett’s new-ball burst

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got their first points of IPL 2026, but without a victory against their name after their home clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) was washed out on Monday night.

Desperate for a win after starting the campaign with two losses on the bounce, KKR were reeling against the swing of Xavier Bartlett and were 25-2 in 3.4 overs when drizzle stopped the game.

It soon turned into heavy rain with gusts of wind and the entire ground went under white covers. From 7.48pm IST, when the players went off the field, the spectators waited until 11pm when play was called off.

PBKS are top the table for now as the only team with five points; three teams are on their heels with four points each.

Rain stopped at around 10.30pm, and hopes of a shortened game lingered briefly as the covers started to come off, but with plenty of water coming off the covers and accumulatitng near the boundary areas, it was not possible to get the field ready in time for a five-overs-a-side contest.

KKR’s struggles with the bat continued after their captain Ajinkya Rahane surprisingly chose to bat. They were also without their spin twins of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy; the last time KKR had played a match without either was back in 2019.

While Narine was unwell, Varun had injured his left hand while fielding in their previous game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Varun was seen in the dugout with strapping on his hand.

Arshdeep Singh started well for PBKS, swinging the ball both ways in the first over, before Bartlett took over with his hooping outswingers. He beat Finn Allen three times in a row with outswing at the start of the second over before extracting his outside edge to send him back for six.

Next ball, he drew a thick edge from Cameron Green that went for four, and he then pounded in another zippy outswinger that kissed Green’s outside edge for another caught-behind.

In just three balls, KKR had slipped from 12-0 to 16-2 as Rahane watched from the other end. It had drizzled a bit through that period of action, and the umpires called for the covers in the fourth over.

The only reason for the KKR faithful to cheer was when franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was shown on the big screen and when he later appeared on the balcony to wave to the fans. (ESPNcricinfo)