IPL clash between Kolkata and Punjab abandoned after being hit by rain

[p]Following defeats to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mumbai-indians/2eZPzJH2/"]Mumbai Indians[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunrisers-hyderabad/ltywUfPr/"]Sunrisers Hyderabad[/a] in their two opening fixtures, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kolkata-knight-riders/nmRRRXaA/"]Kolkata[/a] were in trouble [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/kolkata-knight-riders-nmRRRXaA/punjab-kings-juzL6jnm/?mid=l6Bze30c"]at 25-2 after 3.4 overs at their Eden Gardens home ground[/a] when the rain arrived at 7:48 pm local time.[/p][p]The rain finally relented 40 minutes before the 11:14 pm cut-off, but there wasn't enough time to get the ground ready for a five-overs-a-side shootout.[/p][embed guid="81b1fda4-8674-4a0d-a1fd-d495fde67db5" url="https://x.com/IPL/status/2041209818955014415" social-type="twitter" /][p]Unbeaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/punjab-kings/juzL6jnm/"]Punjab[/a] reclaimed the top position in the league table with five points from three matches, while Kolkata opened their account fortuitously after going into the match without their lead spinners. Varun Chakravarthy was injured, and West Indian Sunil Narine was ruled out because of illness.[/p][p]Despite the threat of rain, Ajinkya Rahane surprisingly opted to bat first but watched in consternation as opening partner Finn Allen of New Zealand and Australian Cameron Green were both caught behind off Aussie swing exponent Xavier Bartlett in the space of three deliveries in the second over.[/p][p]It started raining not long afterwards, forcing the sides to split the points.[/p]