Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane He faced intense scrutiny after opting to bat first against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens, a decision that was heavily criticized by several former cricketers. With the rain forecast and conditions initially favoring the bowlers, many expected the captain to win the toss and field first and take advantage of the uncertainty. Also, Eden Gardens has historically not been the easiest place to defend a total. RahaneThe decision is most surprising. KKR were also without their key spin pair. Sunil Narayan And Varun Chakraborty, leaving his bowling attack quite thin. Despite these factors, Rahane chose to bat, a move that immediately raised eyebrows. The decision quickly came under pressure as Xavier Bartlett made brilliant use of the overcast conditions, dismissing Finn Allen and Cameron Greene in the same over to send KKR out in a hurry. Soon after, the game was interrupted due to rain and the match was eventually abandoned with the two teams tied at one point each. Former India captain Anil during the rain break Blankets Openly questioned the call. “I am surprised that Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first. On a pitch like this, where there is some rain, ideally, you would want to field first,” Kumble said. Echoing similar confusion, former selector Saba Karim added, “I can’t understand the call. I can’t wrap my head around it.” Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also took to social media to criticize the thinking behind the decision.
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“When you know it’s going to be a rain-hit game, with an inexperienced bowling attack at your disposal, you opt to bat first. Interesting thought process. #ipl2026. KKR were struggling at 25/2, with Bartlett’s quick spell putting them on the back foot, before rain stopped proceedings. The hurdle may have come as a relief for KKR, while PBKS, who had started strong, were left disappointed. The stalemate meant the two sides shared the points, with Punjab continuing their strong run in the tournament, while KKR slipped further down the table after another unbeaten outing.
