The Kolkata Knight Riders-Punjab Kings Indian Premier League game at Eden Gardens was called off on the back of a thunderstorm. PBKS, who had opted to bat, finished with a score of 201 for 4. In the chase, KKR were seven for no loss after one over, when the heavens opened up. The rain did relent for a while. Just 20 minutes later, the ground staff had to once more cover the turf due to persistent rain, which eventually resulted in the abandonment of the match.
The truncated game will be remembered for the excellent opening stand between Prabhsimran Singh (49-ball 83) and Priyansh Arya (35-ball 69). The duo went on to string together an alliance of 120. The highlight of that partnership was how they explored different parts of the ground while facing Chetan Sakariya, with the left-arm pacer giving away 18 runs in his second over.
The carnage didn’t stop there as Arya targeted the covers, fine-leg and third-man fielding positions to collect two boundaries and a six in the 10th over bowled by Harshit Rana. Even Sunil Narine, one of the mainstays of the attack, was at the receiving end of some eye-catching pyrotechnics by the duo in the 11th over as he ended up conceding three sixes.
Andre Russell and Vaibhav Arora picked up the scalps of Arya and Prabhsimran, respectively. At that juncture, Shreyas Iyer shouldered the responsibility of steering his side past the 200-run mark with an unbeaten 25. To their credit, KKR put a lid on the scoring rate in the slog overs – PBKS could collect just 34 runs in the last four overs.
At the innings break, PBKS seemed to be the slight favourites, especially considering the fact that the track was on the slower side. The rain, however, had the final say with both teams collecting a point. PBKS are placed fourth on the table with 11 points, while KKR slot in at the seventh position with seven points.
Brief scores: PBKS 201/4 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 83, Priyansh Arya 69; Vaibhav Arora 2-34) v KKR 7/0. Match Called Off Due to Rain.