Xavier Bartlett gave Punjab Kings an ideal start of their IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on April 6. The fast bowler removed key batters Finn Allen and Cameron Green early, putting KKR under pressure immediately. Each wickets got here within the second over.
Bartlett bowled a brief delivery that moved away from Allen. The batter tried to hit an enormous shot but couldn’t free his arms properly, edged the ball, and it went straight to wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh, who took a simple catch. Allen was out for six runs off 7 balls. Soon after, Bartlett bowled an identical ball to Green.
He tried to play away from his body but only managed a slight edge, which was again caught by the wicketkeeper. Green, who looked unsure on the crease, got out for just 4 runs off 2 balls. This was his third poor rating in a row, after making 18 against Mumbai Indians and a pair of against SunRisers Hyderabad.
Watch the video here:
https://www.iplt20.com/video/64824/ipl-2026-m12-kkr-vs-pbks—finn-allen-wicket?tagNames=2026
Bartlett shines as PBKS dominate Kolkata KKR early; rain interrupts clash
Xavier Bartlett gave Punjab Kings a robust start against Kolkata Knight Riders before rain stopped play of their IPL 2026 match. At that time, KKR were 25/2 in 3.4 overs, with captain Ajinkya Rahane (8 off 6) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (7 off 7) batting.
KKR are still searching for their first win this season after losing to Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad of their first two matches. Then again, PBKS have been in great form, winning back-to-back games against Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.
They may now aim to beat KKR again and proceed their winning run. The last time KKR defeated Punjab was within the 2023 season, after they won by five wickets.
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