Rain played spoilsport as Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) IPL match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) was called off after the visiting team posted 201 for 4 here on Saturday.
Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya slammed stellar half-centuries to lay a solid opening foundation, but KKR pulled things back at the death as Punjab Kings posted 201 for 4 after PBKS opted to bat.
In reply, KKR were 7/0 after one over when a sudden thunderstorm struck, sending debris flying across the ground and even blowing the covers into the stands.
The ground staff quickly covered the pitch, but relentless rain followed, leaving no scope for a resumption of play. After nearly 90 minutes of waiting, with no let-up in the weather, the match was officially called off. As a result, both the teams shared one point each. KKR now have seven points from nine matches to stay at seventh spot, while PBKS moved to 11 points from nine games.
Earlier, in-form Arya, who scored a maiden IPL century against Chennai Super Kings, continued his dream debut season with a classy 27-ball fifty. He, along with the seasoned Prabhsimran, gave PBKS a blazing start with a 120-run opening stand in just 11.5 overs.
Arya was the early aggressor, crafting a fluent 69 off 35 balls, while Prabhsimran shifted gears after Arya’s dismissal, finishing with a sparkling 83 off 49 deliveries. From a tentative 32 off 34 balls, Prabhsimran exploded by smashing 49 runs off his next 17 balls.
However, the momentum dipped after Prabhsimran’s departure, with KKR conceding just 40 runs and picking up two wickets in the final five overs, a phase that could leave PBKS 20-30 runs short of a daunting total. Vaibhav Arora (2/34) was the pick of KKR bowlers, dismissing Prabhsimran with a full toss.
Andre Russell, who broke the opening stand by removing Arya in the 12th over, finished with 1/27 from three tidy overs. Varun Chakravarthy (1/39) and Sunil Narine (0/35) also played key roles in slowing down the scoring rate in the second half.
