Good morning, Kolkata—if you were out and about, you likely got a proper soundtrack of rain, chai, and a never-ending parade of fried snacks. Still, cricket didn’t play along. The matchup between KKR and PBKS at Eden Gardens was washed out, with the grounds crew spending more effort battling the weather than the players did preparing for action. The IPL, however, doesn’t pause for drama, and the next wave of headlines moves in fast—welcome to a fresh edition of Cricbuzz Pulse, a quick two-minute sweep of what matters in the league.
Last night in five lines
1. KKR won the toss and chose to bat first, despite the rain lingering around.
2. Eden Gardens rolled out another green-looking surface once again.
3. In the end, KKR handed a cap to Navdeep Saini.
4. Xavier Bartlett flashed the kind of new-ball threat that Eden Gardens has been missing in Test cricket for a while.
5. Barely 3.4 overs were possible before rain arrived and refused to leave.
Oh, that happened
KKR entered the contest without both Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy. Varun picked up an injury while completing a boundary catch involving Abhishek Sharma in the previous game. Narine, meanwhile, was unwell. This meant it was the first time KKR had gone into a match in the 2026 season’s playing XI without both of them since Varun made his debut for the franchise back in 2020.
Pulse awards
The oh-you’re-still-here award goes to the Eden Gardens pitch covering, for staying in place despite all the weather. The broken-up-but-still-checking-their-Instagram award is for Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s former title-winning captain, for looking completely comfortable in the away dressing room in Kolkata. The sigh-of-relief award goes to KKR for avoiding yet another Rahane-style press moment. The held-the-line award and the unsung-heroes award recognize the Eden Gardens ground staff, who kept the covers steady as the wind tried its best to disrupt everything.
Talking point
SRH are unhappy. Two defeats in three matches might be enough to explain the mood, but their frustration is broader—rooted in a run of decisions and key moments they believe have repeatedly gone against them. The latest flashpoint came when Avesh Khan, positioned close to the LSG dugout, sent the ball back into the field of play even before it had fully cleared the boundary ropes. That incident adds to earlier concerns: one involving Heinrich Klaasen’s boundary catch being given off Phil Salt at Chinnaswamy, and another where Abhishek Sharma was ruled caught off Varun at Eden Gardens.
Who’s saying what
Rahane didn’t have much to add—something KKR likely won’t mind. Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, used colourful language at the toss, describing things as having “blossomed” and mentioning a “plethora,” which the crowd around College Street in Kolkata seemed to enjoy.
There is also news brewing around Wanindu Hasaranga. People close to him and those within LSG have indicated there is “no update” on his status. With each passing minute, it’s beginning to look increasingly likely that the franchise may move on from him.
Stat Snack
For the second consecutive year, a KKR vs PBKS meeting at Eden Gardens ended up being washed out. Maybe—just maybe—Kolkata is still grieving the idea of letting Iyer go. And yes, we all know which Iyer is being referenced.
What’s the latest gossip?
One franchise is already wondering if it might have paid a premium for a marquee signing who is taking longer than expected to justify the cheque. The concern is simple: he isn’t bowling much, and he’s not batting frequently either.
Tonight’s watchlist
RR vs MI in Guwahati is the headline for tonight. With a 16-14 record in head-to-head encounters, it’s set up for a tight contest. Hardik Pandya, who missed the previous match due to a throat infection, is expected to return to lead the side.
Reckless prediction for tonight’s match
For a change, Guwahati should finally get a full house.
