Rain has brought the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings to a standstill in Kolkata. At the time of the interruption, KKR was struggling at 25 runs with 2 wickets down after just 3.4 overs. Finn Allen and Cameron Green were dismissed early, leaving Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease.
Prior to the rain delay, KKR’s captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat first. He made two forced changes to the lineup due to injuries to Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine.
“We’re going to bat first. The pitch looks good, slightly drier with minimal grass coverage. It’s all about having belief and confidence in our approach. Winning those crucial moments is essential. We’re feeling confident, despite the changes due to injuries—Varun was injured while taking a catch last game, and Narine is out. Powell and Saini are in,” Rahane explained.
On the other side, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer expressed satisfaction with the decision to bowl first, given the overcast conditions. He’s pleased with his team’s unbeaten start to the season and is hopeful for continued success.
“I was also inclined to bowl first, so I’m glad with the decision made. The chemistry Shreyas and I share from our Delhi Capitals days has been beneficial. He empowers the youngsters, and he’s an inspiration. We’re fielding the same team as before,” Iyer noted.
PBKS has kicked off the season with two straight victories, while KKR is yet to find the win column after losing both their opening matches. Given PBKS’s strong performance, they are favored to secure a third consecutive win.
Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Cooper Connolly, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Stay tuned for further updates.