The first washout of IPL 2026 arrived in Kolkata, where Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings had to settle for a point each after relentless rain forced the match to be abandoned. It was a frustrating night, especially for KKR, who were desperate to get their campaign going after two straight defeats. However, after the start they got, they must be thankful to have a point next to their name!
The game barely got a chance to breathe. KKR were 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs when drizzle turned into steady rain, eventually making any restart impossible. The covers stayed on for most of the evening, and despite a brief window when the rain eased, the outfield never recovered in time.
For PBKS, the abandoned game still helped their cause. They moved to the top of the IPL 2026 points table with five points from three matches, while KKR opened their account but remain winless.
Bartlett shows promise as KKR stumble
There was enough action in those few overs to tell a story for KKR. Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bat, but the decision quickly backfired against a new-ball spell full of movement. It was a bewildering decision from Rahane, as he wasn’t expected to bat first despite uncertain weather.
Arshdeep Singh set the tone in the first over, getting the ball to swing both ways. Then Xavier Bartlett took over. His outswing troubled Finn Allen immediately, beating him multiple times before finding the edge. Allen fell for 6.
Bartlett was not done. Cameron Green walked in and lasted just a couple of balls before edging another delivery behind. In the space of three deliveries, KKR slipped from 12 for 0 to 16 for 2.
Rahane (8*) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (7*) were left to rebuild, but the rain arrived before they could settle. Notably, KKR were without both Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, something that has not happened since 2019.
The players walked off at 7:48 PM, and what followed was a waiting game. The rain grew heavier, winds picked up and the entire ground was covered. There was a brief moment of hope around 10:30 PM when the rain stopped and covers began to come off. But the damage had already been done. Water had seeped through, especially around the boundary areas, leaving puddles across the outfield.
Even a five-over contest was not possible. After multiple inspections and discussions, the umpires finally called it off close to 11 PM.
IPL 2026 points table after KKR vs PBKS match
| Rank | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PBKS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | +0.637 |
| 2 | RCB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +2.501 |
| 3 | RR | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +2.233 |
| 4 | DC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.170 |
| 5 | SRH | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +0.275 |
| 6 | MI | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -0.206 |
| 7 | LSG | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -0.542 |
| 8 | KKR | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -1.964 |
| 9 | GT | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.424 |
| 10 | CSK | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -2.517 |
Next IPL 2026 match
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7 | RR vs MI | Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
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