Rain plays spoilsport at Eden Gardens tonight

Kolkata, May 8 (UNI) The fate of the crucial DLF-IPL T20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers of Bangalore hanged in the balance as rain accompanied by gale lashed Eden Gardens for about 35 minutes tonight.

The match, slated for 2000 hours, could not start as per schedule and the ground had been totally covered by polythene sheets.

Later, when the rain died down, the groundsmen used super soppers to dry out the outfield so that the match could take off.

The umpires had kept their fingers crossed and were yet to take any decision on the match.

Earlier, a function was organised to commemmorate the 147th birth anniversary of Rabindra Nath Tagore at the Eden Gardens, where several local artistes performed.

Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan, who also took part in the function, recited a few lines from Tagore's collection of poems ''Gitanjali'' - '' Whre the mind is without fear and the head is held high .......''.

Meanwhile, the team bus of the host Kolkata Knight Riders and the convoy of Shahrukh Khan, his wife, children and other celebrities were stuck following the one-hour Trinamool Congress-sponsored one-hour road blockade in the city in protest against the CPI (M) ''atrocities and the mockery of the State Election Commission''.

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