Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: The highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium faced a delay on Saturday evening due to rain.
The IPL confirmed the development via its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Update: The toss has been delayed due to rain. Stay tuned for further updates.”
🏏 High-Stakes Encounter Post Resumption
This fixture marks the first match since the week-long suspension of IPL 2025, which was paused due to heightened geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. The match holds high significance for both teams in the race to the playoffs.
- RCB, currently second on the points table with 16 points, could become the first team to officially qualify for the playoffs with a victory tonight. A win would also boost their chances of securing a top-two finish, offering a strategic advantage in the qualifiers.
- KKR, on the other hand, sit sixth on the table. With two matches remaining, they need to win both to reach 15 points and rely on other results to sneak into the top four.
📈 Momentum and Recent Form
- RCB come into the game with four consecutive wins, demonstrating renewed consistency and confidence in the latter half of the season.
- KKR’s momentum, built from back-to-back wins, was recently halted by bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings, increasing the pressure on the defending champions to bounce back.
🧢 Team Squads
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR):
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Mayank Markande, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia, Spencer Johnson, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Venkatesh Iyer, Rovman Powell, Chetan Sakariya.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):
Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh, Philip Salt, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Nuwan Thushara, Josh Hazlewood.
🌧️ Weather Watch
With weather conditions remaining uncertain, fans will be hoping for a break in the rain to ensure a full match. A washout would mean shared points, which could significantly impact the playoff race dynamics for both franchises.