Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore Practice Cut Short by Rain Ahead of IPL 2025 Opener

Rain Disrupts IPL 2025 Preparations

An unexpected evening downpour led to the early conclusion of practice sessions for both Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore on the eve of their IPL 2025 match at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

The scheduled practice commenced at 5 PM, but by 6 PM, rain forced the ground staff to intervene, prompting players to wrap up their training.

Fortunately, Eden Gardens is equipped with comprehensive ground covers, which helped safeguard the playing surface from the rain.

The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an 'orange alert' for Friday and Saturday, cautioning residents about potential thundersqualls, strong winds, lightning, hailstorms, and moderate rainfall affecting various districts, including Kolkata.

The IMD reported that thundersqualls accompanied by gusty winds, lightning, and light to moderate rain are expected in areas such as Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Howrah on Friday.

For Saturday, forecasts predict thunderstorms with gusty winds, lightning, and moderate rainfall in Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Purba Bardhaman, as well as North and South 24 Parganas.

The match is set to kick off at 7:30 PM, with the toss scheduled for 7 PM.

An extravagant opening ceremony featuring performances by Shreya Ghoshal and Disha Patani is slated for 6 PM, but the weather may pose challenges.

As per IPL rules, league-stage matches have a one-hour extension window, meaning the cut-off time for a five-over match is 10:56 PM, with play needing to conclude by 12:06 AM.

Kolkata has already faced rain interruptions leading up to the season opener, with a KKR intra-squad practice match being canceled after just one innings.