Ajinkya Rahane, leading Kolkata Knight Riders, came under heavy criticism for his call at the toss during their IPL 2026 encounter against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens.
Despite forecasts predicting rain and conditions expected to assist bowlers early on, Rahane opted to bat first, a decision that left many former cricketers puzzled. Given the venue's reputation for being difficult to defend totals and the overcast weather, the more conventional choice appeared to be bowling first and exploiting the helpful conditions.
The decision was further questioned as KKR were missing their frontline spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, which weakened their bowling unit considerably.
Punjab Kings' pacer Xavier Bartlett made an immediate impact, taking
full advantage of the conditions by removing Finn Allen and Cameron Green in the same over, putting KKR on the back foot early.
Shortly after, rain halted proceedings, and the match was eventually called off, with both sides sharing a point. During the interruption, former India captain Anil Kumble did not hold back, openly questioning Rahane's decision to bat first under such conditions.
Kumble, Ashwin In Disbelief Over Rahane's Decision
"I am surprised that Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first. On a pitch like this, where there's some rain around, ideally, you would want to field first," Kumble said. Echoing similar viewpoints, former cricketer Saba Karim said, "I cannot understand this call. I cannot wrap my head around it. "
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin also slammed the decision of Rahane to bat first on a rain-affected game. "When you know it's going to be a rain-affected game, with an inexperienced bowling attack at your disposal, you choose to bat first. Interesting thought process. "
Before rain brought the contest to a halt, Kolkata Knight Riders were in early trouble at 25/2, as Xavier Bartlett delivered a sharp opening spell that put them under immediate pressure. The interruption arguably worked in KKR's favour, offering them a timely escape, while Punjab Kings, who had seized early momentum, were left disappointed.
With the match eventually called off, both teams had to settle for a shared point. Punjab maintained their positive trajectory in the tournament, whereas KKR's struggles continued, causing them to slide further down the standings after another lacklustre performance.
