Rain forced the cancellation of the 12th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday, resulting in a point for each side.
Rain started to fall on the field only a few overs into the fourth over. The umpires were compelled to remove the players from the field as the rain grew heavier and the covers were promptly brought in. The entire playing surface was covered in sheets that the ground crew laid out quickly across the pitch, square, and run-ups.
Although the modified time for the check was scheduled for 8:45 PM IST, the covers remained firmly in place, and ultimately it was canceled due to rain.
The teams shared the idea as KKR fell to eighth place and PBKS maintained its dominance at the top.
The break would have been welcomed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who were in serious difficulty at 25/2 after losing two important foreign batsmen early on. In contrast, the interruption would have annoyed the Punjab Kings, who had controlled the game and were intent on keeping the pressure on.
With a quick inside the powerplay, Xavier Bartlett gave PBKS the ideal start.
Bartlett’s unrelenting accuracy in striking twice in quick succession in the early game added to KKR’s problems. Allen first fell in a similar way, trying to go big but only getting a thick outer edge. As Bartlett consistently hit the same place. A few moments later, Cameron Green’s thin streak persisted as he managed to edge a probing ball for only 4 to the keeper, unable to resist the allure off outside.
The situation at KKR was dire, and they were quickly behind by two runs.
In order to counter the in-form Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders made two crucial modifications as they elected to bat. During the toss, Captain Ajinkya Rahane informed that Varun Chakravarthy would be sidelined due to a hand injury he sustained while fielding in the previous game against SRH. Due to illness, Sunil Narine was also not present.
Navdeep Saini made his KKR debut and played his first IPL game since 2023, while Rovman Powell joined the team for his first game of the season.
These changes left KKR lacking in spin, with Anukul Roy as the only expert spinner in the XI and no additional spin options among their Impact substitutes.