A persistent drizzle on Friday evening forced an early end to the practice sessions of both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of their IPL 2025 opener at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Both teams began training at 5pm as scheduled, but rain arrived by 6pm, prompting ground staff to swiftly cover the field while players wrapped up their preparations. Thankfully, Eden Gardens is among the few venues equipped with full ground covers, ensuring the pitch and outfield remained protected.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an “orange alert” for Friday and Saturday, warning of thundersqualls, gusty winds, lightning, hail, and moderate rainfall in several districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata.
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Friday’s forecast highlighted severe weather in districts like Jhargram, Midnapore, Bankura, and Hooghly, while Saturday could bring thunderstorms and rain to Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, and both North and South 24 Parganas.
Weather prediction for KKR vs CSK in IPL 2025
KKR vs RCB is scheduled for a 7:30pm start, with toss at 7pm. A grand opening ceremony, featuring Shreya Ghoshal and Disha Patani, is planned to begin at 6pm, though the weather could disrupt proceedings.
Per IMD, there is a prediction of “light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds are expected” until Saturday.
As per IPL rules, league matches have a one-hour buffer, allowing play until 12:06am, with a five-over game cut-off set at 10:56pm. Rain has already impacted preparations, washing out a recent KKR intra-squad game.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
