Rain halts KKR vs PBKS clash after Bartlett rocks hosts with two in three balls

KOLKATA: Rain played spoilsport as Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL match against Punjab Kings was interrupted with the home side struggling at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs amid steady drizzle that later turned into a thunderstorm, here on Monday.

Opting to bat on a dry surface, KKR, in search of their first win of the season, were rocked early as Xavier Bartlett struck twice in the space of three balls.

Displaying fine control over swing and seam, the Australian pacer removed KKR's two star overseas recruits Finn Allen (6) and Cameron Green (4), who had been promoted to No. 3.

Green, the highest-paid overseas player at Rs 25.20 crore, continued his miserable outing having earlier managed scores of 18 (against Mumbai Indians) and 2 (Sunrisers Hyderabad), as KKR stumbled having lost their opening two matches.

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (8) and young wicketkeeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi (7), who has been KKR’s most consistent performer this season with successive fifties, were looking to rebuild when persistent drizzle forced the umpires to halt play at 7.45pm.

With Eden Gardens equipped with full ground covers, the groundstaff sprang into action, swiftly covering the entire field.

There was a brief relent when the covers began to come off, but rain returned with thunderstrom and lightning, leaving spectators frustrated as they started leaving.

The match also witnessed a relatively sparse turnout, with 29,358 spectators in attendance possibly due to a Monday fixture and overcast conditions.

All this unfolded in front of Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who made his first appearance of the season, only to witness a rain-hit evening.

Incidentally, last season’s KKR-PBKS fixture at the Eden (April 26) was also affected by rain, with both teams forced to share a point.

The Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings had posted 201 for 4 before KKR reached 7 for no loss when rain intervened.

An inspection was held at 8.45 pm, but with further showers accompanied by gusty Kalbaisakhi (Nor’wester) winds, the outlook remained grim.

Overs begin to be reduced after a delay of one hour, with roughly one over per side lost for every four to five minutes thereafter.

The cut-off time to start a five-overs-a-side match -- the minimum required for a result -- is 10.56 pm.

However, with rain expected to intensify as per forecasts, a result appeared unlikely.

A washout, though, would help KKR open their account with one point after a winless start.

According to the IMD, the rain has been triggered by a low-pressure trough stretching from Bihar to Manipur, passing over North Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh, leading to moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal.

“Thunderstorms with lightning and rain may occur in most districts of South Bengal. From Sunday to Thursday, scattered rainfall is likely across the state, with higher intensity on Tuesday and Wednesday,” the IMD said.

Weather conditions are expected to worsen on Tuesday, with Kalbaisakhi storms likely to bring winds of 50-60 kmph, along with lightning and heavy rain in Kolkata and adjoining areas.

KKR have a third home match in a row facing Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday but that too has some rain forecast.