‘Kind of shocking’: Rahane slammed for ‘batting first’ in rainy clash

New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Lahani He was heavily criticized after opting to bat first in a rain-threatened match against Kings XI Punjab at the Eden Gardens on Monday. In games where rain is in the forecast, captains often prefer to field first in order to get a clear goal in the shortened game. However, Rahane’s decision did not go down well with many, including legend Anil Kumble and former Indian cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Sabah Karim.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainfall was triggered by a trough of low pressure extending from Bihar to Manipur, passing through North Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh, causing moisture intrusion from the Bay of Bengal.“Thunderstorm with lightning and rain is likely to occur in most parts of South Bengal. Scattered rainfall is possible across the state from Sunday into Thursday, with more intense rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday. ” said IMD.Despite these conditions, Rahane’s decision to bat first drew criticism from former cricketers.“I was surprised that Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first. On a pitch like this, with some rain around, ideally you would want to bat first,” Kamble said on JioHotstar radio during the rain break.Ashwin made a sarcastic comment on social media.“When you know it’s going to be a rain-affected game and you have access to an inexperienced bowling attack, you choose to bat first. Interesting thought process. #ipl2026,” Ashwin wrote.“I couldn’t understand the call. I couldn’t understand it,” Saba said.Former Bengal batsman Shreevats Goswami wrote: “Very surprised to see Rahane winning the toss and choosing to bat first in overcast conditions. It’s a bit of a shock there. Immediately you can see the swing and 2 guys being chased. A very, very brave call. #kkr,” he said.Rain then disrupted Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL match against Kings XI Punjab, with the home team struggling at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs, with persistent drizzle later intensifying into thunderstorms.Opting to bat, KKR, still looking for their first win of the season, were shaken early as Xavier Bartlett struck twice in the space of three balls.The Australian pacer showed excellent control of his swing and seams to defeat KKR’s two key overseas batsmen Finn Allen (No. 6) and Cameron Green (No. 4), who has been promoted to No. 3.Green, the highest-paid overseas player worth Rs 25.2 crore, has struggled again, scoring 18 against Mumbai Indians and two against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier, as KKR continues to struggle after two opening losses.Skipper Rahane (8) and young wicketkeeper-batsman Angkrish Raghuvanshi (7) have been KKR’s most consistent performers this season with 50 consecutive games and they were trying to rebuild, but persistent drizzle forced the umpire to suspend play at 7:45 pm.Since Eden Gardens was equipped with complete ground cover, the grounds crew moved quickly to cover the entire site.