There is a possibility that the resumption of IPL 2025 may be impacted by predicted heavy rainfall in Bengaluru on May 17, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faces off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here.
As reported by Accuweather, Saturday afternoon through evening is expected to see thunderstorms, possibly accompanied by heavy rainfall. Additionally, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) website forecasts a chance of one or two episodes of rain or thundershowers during the evening hours.
Both RCB and KKR carefully planned the timing of their training sessions on match eve, taking the weather into consideration. While RCB’s practice was held from 2pm to 5pm, team director Mo Bobat explained that this decision was made due to the uncertain weather forecast for the evening. Meanwhile, KKR began their training at 5pm and completed it by 6.30pm.
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This past week in Bengaluru has been quite wet, as the entire city has experienced sufficient rainfall. The downpour began at approximately 9:30pm on Friday night, well after both teams had concluded their practice sessions. It continued non-stop for a minimum of four hours. Similar conditions occurred on Thursday evening.
Should rain ultimately lead to a match cancellation, KKR’s hope for securing a spot in the playoffs will vanish. With two remaining games and 11 points already earned, a shared point tally would result in a maximum of 14 points, which falls short of the playoffs threshold. Earlier in the season, KKR experienced one game being washed out against Punjab Kings.
Despite the possibility of a washed out game, RCB maintains a strong chance of making it to the playoffs and securing a top two finish. This was evident in last month’s match in Bengaluru, where the RCB-Punjab Kings (PBKS) game was reduced to 14 overs due to rain.
According to Bobat, weather did play a role in their preparation, but there is little that can be done if it rains on the day of the match. It is important to mention that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has a top-of-the-line drainage system, enabling quick resumption of play after a complete stoppage due to rain.
Aside from a few games, the rescheduling could have further impacts. Bengaluru is set to host one additional game on May 23 between RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Mumbai – which has already experienced unexpected rain – is slated to hold the match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 21.
As we look four days ahead of the game, the weather forecast predicts clear skies. However, there is a chance of rain on the day before. Kolkata, the previously announced venue for the qualifier 2 and final, typically experiences monsoon season starting in early June. This means that if the final on June 3 takes place at Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata, it may be impacted by rainfall.
