Unfavourable weather conditions could hamper the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) hopes of securing a crucial win against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during their IPL 2025 fixture this Saturday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a 70% chance of rain, which has already disrupted both teams’ training sessions.
Persistent rain over the past two days is expected to continue on match day, potentially affecting the highly anticipated clash. The IMD indicated that rain or thundershowers are likely to occur in the afternoon or evening of 3rd May.
On Friday, CSK began their practice at 3pm but were curtailed just 45 minutes later as rain intervened. Practice resumed by 4.30pm once conditions improved. Meanwhile, RCB’s session commenced at 5pm, with key players Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal practising for nearly an hour before heavy rain forced a halt. The weather remained relentless for over three hours, making it impossible to proceed. The city experienced a thunderstorm and intermittent lightning, leading to significant waterlogging in various areas.
While CSK have been eliminated from playoff contention with only two wins from ten games, RCB find themselves in a critical position. Sitting third on the points table with seven victories and three losses, a win on Saturday could propel them to the top.
Fans might recall the previous month’s RCB-Punjab Kings (PBKS) encounter in Bengaluru, which had to be reduced to 14 overs per side due to rain. Notably, this will mark the first meeting between RCB and CSK in Bengaluru since last year’s IPL, where RCB’s 27-run victory over CSK clinched them a playoff spot. Earlier this season in Chennai, RCB secured a convincing 50-run win against CSK.
With so much at stake for RCB, players and fans alike will be hoping the weather does not play spoiler.
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo.
