KKR faced off against PBKS in match 12 of the IPL 2026 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
This decision was criticized by several former cricketers because rain was expected for the match between the two teams, and traditional wisdom would have dictated that the captain who won the toss should have bowled first, as the team would have known the target beforehand.
Second, Eden Gardens has traditionally been a difficult ground to defend totals on, so the decision to bat first raised a few questions. In addition to these, KKR was without their two ace spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, for this contest, hence, the decision to bowl second with an inexperienced bowling unit raised eyebrows.
KKR batters suffered from Rahane’s poor call at the toss, as PBKS pacer Xavier Bartlett made full use of the moisture in the air and made the ball talk. He dismissed both Finn Allen and Cameron Green in the same over before rain poured down, bringing a pause to the proceedings.
This gave time to former cricketers to analyse Rahane’s decision to win the toss and bat first despite all of the above-mentioned reasons. Anil Kumble and Saba Karim put Rahane under the scanner, saying bowling would have been the better option.
“I am surprised that Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first. On a pitch like this, where there's some rain around, ideally, you would want to field first,” Kumble said on the JioHotstar broadcast during the rain break.
On the other hand, Saba Karim said, “I cannot understand this call. I cannot wrap my head around it.”
R Ashwin, a former India spinner, agreed with Kumble, calling KKR's decision to bat first "interesting".
“When you know it’s going to be a rain-affected game, with an inexperienced bowling attack at your disposal, you choose to bat first. Interesting thought process. #ipl2026,” he posted on X.
Ex-India opener Aakash Chopra also shared his thoughts on X and stated: “KKR lost both its spinners for today’s game vs PBKS and chose to bat first. In a game where rain could play a role. INTERESTING.”
Rahane's strategies also infuriated former Bengal batter Shreevats Goswami, who criticized the decision to bat first on a day when it was anticipated that the game would be reduced owing to rain.
“Very surprised to see Rahane winning the toss & electing to bat first on an overcast condition. Bit of a shocker there. Immediately you can see a swing and 2 caught behinds. Very very brave call. #kkr,” he posted.
The KKR have already lost their opening two matches, going down to the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers.