The IPL has shifted Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) upcoming home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from Bengaluru to Lucknow due to severe weather forecasts in South India. The change affects the match scheduled for 23rd May, and consequently, RCB will now play both their remaining games, including their final match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on 27th May, at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium.
SRH, originally set to travel to Bengaluru on Tuesday evening, have now been instructed to remain in Lucknow, where they played against LSG on 19th May. The decision follows a ‘yellow alert’ issued by the meteorological department in Bengaluru, predicting “heavy to very heavy rainfall” until Thursday.
RCB’s last home game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday was also called off without a ball bowled because of relentless rain in the city. Continued downpours have kept RCB indoors this week, with much of Bengaluru experiencing severe waterlogging.
The team was notified of the venue change late Tuesday afternoon, just before their first optional training session since Thursday, when the rains had temporarily eased. However, more rain was forecast for Tuesday night.
Moving the match could benefit RCB’s chances in the league, as another washed-out game might have jeopardised their standing. RCB currently sit second on the points table, trailing Gujarat Titans (GT) by just one point.
IPL Playoffs to be Hosted in Mullanpur and Ahmedabad
In another development, the BCCI has selected Mullanpur and Ahmedabad as the venues for the four IPL 2025 playoff matches, aligning with a revised schedule post a brief earlier suspension. ESPNcricinfo reports that Mullanpur will stage Qualifier 1 on 29th May and the Eliminator the following day, while Ahmedabad will host Qualifier 2 and the final on 1st and 3rd June, respectively. Originally, Hyderabad and Kolkata were set to host these decisive matches.
Punjab Kings (PBKS), RCB, and GT have secured their spots in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) remain in contention for the final berth.
Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
