With two losses in as many matches so far in IPL 2026, Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders have not had the best of starts to the season. With the threat of rain looming large in Kolkata prior to the team’s match against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens on Monday evening, Rahane opted to bat first after winning the toss. With clouds hanging over the stadium and rain looking inevitable, captains often choose to field first so that the target is known at the end of the match. However, Rahane chose to bat first. Kolkata Knight Riders lost two wickets for 25 runs in 3.4 overs — both scalps being picked by Punjab pacer Xavier Bartlett in the second over before heavy rains arrived. Rahane’s decision could have backfired had the match restarted after the rain break. While the match was eventually called off with rain ensuring no further play, Rahane’s decision to bat first in such conditions drew criticism from the likes of former India captain and coach Anil Kumble. “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 on JioHotstar during the rain break. This year has seen Kolkata Knight Riders starting their campaign with a six-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The team followed that loss with another 65-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens and were facing the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings on Monday evening. With Punjab Kings coming into the match with two wins under their belt, Knight Riders needed to be in their best form to have a chance to win. With Rahane opting to bat first and later heavy rains ensuring that the match was called off, it means that the team stands at the eighth spot in the points table with one point. Story continues below this ad Kumble’s fellow commentator Saba Karim too was critical of Rahane’s decision to bat first in such conditions. “I cannot understand this call. I cannot wrap my head around it,” Karim said on JioHotstar. With spinners Varun Chakravarthy (injured) and Sunil Narine (unwell) not available for the match, Rahane had spoken about his decision to bat first with the Eden Gardens pitch being on the ‘drier side’. “The pitch looks on the drier side and we want to put the runs on board first. We are confident as a unit and the key is to win the big moments,” Rahane had said after winning the toss. Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin too criticised Rahane’s move and called the KKR captain’s thought process as an ‘interesting’ one. “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,” Ashiwn posted on social media micro blogging platform X.
IPL 2026 | ‘On pitch like this, you’d want to field first’: Anil Kumble on KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane’s decision to bat first in rainy conditions
