The Kolkata Knight Riders and the Punjab Kings shared a point each after rain forced this IPL season’s first no-result in Kolkata on Saturday.

Chasing 202 for victory, KKR were 7-1 when rain stopped play, and after about 90 minutes officials called off the match at Eden Gardens.

Punjab, still searching for their first IPL title, climbed a place to fourth in the 10-team table with five wins, three losses and one no-result.

Kolkata, who won their third title last season, stay at seventh with three wins, five defeats and one no-result.

Punjab reached 201-4 after Priyansh Arya, who hit 69, and Prabhsimran Singh, who top-scored with 83, lay the foundations for the total in an opening stand of 120.

The left-right batting combination of Arya and Prabhsimran mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to keep the opposition bowling in the hunt for the first 11 overs.

Arya changed gears and raised his fifty in 27 balls with a four, six and four off pace bowler Harshit Rana and kept up the attack until his departure in the 12th over.

West Indies pace bowler Andre Russell got the breakthrough when Arya mis-timed a pull to be caught deep mid-wicket.

Prabhsimran remained unaffected by his partner’s departure and smashed the bowlers for fours and sixes but fell to pace bowler Vaibhav Arora after his second half-century of this season.

Kolkata’s bowlers attempted check the surge with key wickets including Glenn Maxwell bowled by spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Marco Jansen out to Arora.

The run-flow also dipped after the 15th over but captain Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 16-ball 25 and along with England’s Josh Inglis, on 11, took the team past 200.

Kolkata began their chase with a cautious first over before rain stopped play and consistent drizzle made officials call off the game.

© Agence France-Presse

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