As the IPL 2025 gears up to resume in Bengaluru with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) facing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 17, the looming threat of heavy rain is casting a shadow over the much-anticipated clash.
Forecasters from Accuweather are predicting thunderstorms throughout Saturday afternoon and evening, while the Indian Meteorological Department has also warned of one or two spells of rain or thundershowers later in the day.
This unpredictable weather has already influenced how both teams approached their preparations. RCB opted to train between 2 pm and 5 pm, a strategy guided by team director Mo Bobat to dodge the patchy evening showers. KKR followed with a session from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.
Bengaluru has been drenched through the week, with consistent rainfall soaking nearly every part of the city. Rain began late Friday night after the teams had wrapped up practice, and it persisted for at least four hours — similar to the downpour on Thursday.
If the skies open up again and force a washout, it would likely mark the end of the road for KKR’s playoff ambitions. Sitting on 11 points with only two games remaining, a shared point would leave them stuck at 14, short of the qualification cutoff. Earlier in the season, KKR also lost a crucial match to rain when they faced Punjab Kings.
RCB, meanwhile, would maintain a solid shot at a playoff berth and a coveted top-two finish, even if the game doesn’t go ahead. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium, known for its excellent drainage system, often allows matches to resume quickly once the rain stops. There was also a rain-shortened fixture here last month when RCB played Punjab Kings in a 14-over-a-side contest.
Bobat acknowledged the weather’s impact on practice but stressed that once match day arrives, there’s little anyone can do about the rain. “When you get to game day, you can’t control it,” he said. “You want your players to be as clear and relaxed as possible and trust them to make decisions in the moment. If the game’s rain-affected, it just is — it’s beyond our control.”
Looking ahead, the weather could disrupt more than just this single game. Bengaluru will host another fixture on May 23 (RCB vs Sunrisers Hyderabad), and Mumbai — already battling unseasonal rainfall — is set to stage the Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals match on May 21. Though the forecast four days out currently shows clear skies for the RCB-SRH game, rain the day before remains a concern.
As for Kolkata, the original host of Qualifier 2 and the final, the monsoon season typically begins in early June, which could threaten the June 3 final at Eden Gardens.
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