IPL 2025: Rain denies Kolkata's chase of 202 against Punjab, match called off

Kolkata: Heavy rain at Eden Gardens washed off the IPL 2025 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings here on Saturday. Kolkata were chasing a target of 202 when the rain disrupted the play in the first over. 

Kolkata scored seven runs in the first over, and not a single ball could be bowled after that. Sunil Narine made four runs while Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a single. 

Earlier, opting to bat first, Punjab Kings batsmen lit up the Eden Gardens sky with a flurry of boundaries, posting a formidable target for Kolkata. Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh provided Punjab with a dream start, but their middle order failed to keep up the run rate, and still they managed a score of 201/4. Singh scored 84 runs while Arya made 69 from 35 balls. 

The duo stayed at the pitch for 12 overs and added 120 runs to the board before Andre Russell struck to remove Arya. From there, Singh took control with skipper Shreyas Iyer providing steady support at the other end. 

They added 40 runs in just two overs for the second wicket partnership, with Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane reeling under pressure. 

Rahane brought in Vaibhav Arora into the attack, and the move paid off. Singh was dismissed in the 14th over, and Kolkata tightened their grip on the match from that point. They were able to bring down the run rate and took wickets in the right intervals. 

Iyer stuck around while he lost two partners, Glenn Maxwell and Marco Jansen. In the final overs, Josh Inglis stepped in to support him and added 17 runs before the end of the innings. 

Iyer made an unbeaten 25 off 16 while Inglis added 11 runs. Arora took two wickets while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy claimed one each.