The high-stakes IPL 2026 clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata was interrupted by heavy rain and strong winds on Monday.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, KKR were struggling at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs when heavens opened up, forcing the players off the field.
Current Match Situation Between KKR And PBKS
Before the rain intervention, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were rocked early as Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett struck twice in the space of three balls.
Exhibiting superb control over swing and seam, the Australian Bartlett dismissed overseas stars Finn Allen (6) and Cameron Green (4) to put KKR in trouble.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (8 not out) and young wicketkeeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi (7 not out), were looking to rebuild when rain forced the umpires to suspend the play at 7.45 PM IST.
IPL Rain Rules and Minimum Overs Requirement
As fans and players wait for the weather to clear, the focus has shifted to the “playing conditions” and the latest possible time the game can resume.
As per the official IPL 2026 playing conditions, a match constitutes a valid result only if a minimum of five overs per side are completed (i.e., the team batting second must face at least five overs).
According to Cricbuzz, the cut-off time for a 5-over contest between KKR and PBKS is 23:14 PM IST.
What Happens If the Match Is Washed Out?
If the rain does not relent by the final cut-off time, the match will be officially abandoned. In this scenario: Both KKR and PBKS will receive one point each.
This would be a frustrating result for PBKS, who currently have the momentum after winning the first two matches. On the other hand, it will be a missed opportunity for KKR to turn around their IPL 2026 campaign after two opening losses.
Lineup For KKR vs PBKS IPL 2026 Match
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
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
Impact Substitutes For Both Teams
Punjab Kings Impact subs: Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, Harpreet Brar
Kolkata Knight Riders Impact subs: Blessing Muzarabani, Manish Pandey, Tejasvi Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Saurabh Dubey
