R Ashwin was surprised to see Ajinkya Rahane elect to bat first in the match against Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on Monday, April 6. KKR, who had lost their first two matches, had an early advantage as they won the toss.
KKR vs PBKS Update
With Kolkata having seen rain for the past few days and with showers forecast during the game, Kolkata were expected to opt to bowl first. But Rahane had other ideas and said the team will bat and set a target for PBKS.
Ashwin tweeted immediately after the game started and said it was an interesting thought process from the KKR think tank. KKR are also without services of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy for the game, depleting their bowling even further.
“When you know it’s going to be a rain-affected game, with an inexperienced bowling attack at your disposal, you decide to bat first. Interesting thought process,” said Ashwin on X. (Credit: Ashwin X)
The ball started swinging to great effect early in the game and Xavier Bartlett benefited the most. The Australian pacer played a sensational debut as he dismissed Finn Allen and Cameron Green, which again failed to impress.
Former KKR player Shreevats Goswami said it was a little shocking to see Rahane opting to bat first.
“Very surprised to see Rahane win the toss and elect to bat first in overcast conditions. A bit of a shock. You can see the swing and 2 caught behinds immediately. Very very brave call,” Goswami said. (Credit: Shreevats Goswami X)
WHY KKR BAT FIRST?
Rahane justified the call to bat first by saying that the pitch was on the dry side and there was less grass on the surface.
“We will bat first. The wicket looks good. A bit on the dry side. But the wicket looks very good. There is a bit less grass on the surface so we want to bat first,” Rahane said.
The call didn’t seem to go well for KKR as they were reduced to 25 for two in 3.4 overs before rain halted play at the Eden Gardens.
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Published on:
06 Apr 2026 20:47 IST
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