Bengaluru: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were knocked out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as Match 58 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was abandoned without a toss due to heavy rain at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.
The 2025 IPL season resumes after a brief suspension due to India-Pakistan border tensions. However, the revised schedule has come at a cost, with several overseas stars unavailable for the remainder of the season owing to international duties and personal reasons, potentially impacting team combinations in the playoff race.
The washout has significant consequences on the IPL 2025 points table. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) moved up to the top with 17 points from 12 matches, overtaking Gujarat Titans (16 points from 11) and Punjab Kings (15 from 11), though both Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings will still have a game in hand.
For Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), their defence of the title ended at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. They would rise to 12 points from 13 games, but that won’t be enough to stay in contention. Their final league fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) would thus become a mere formality, marking an early end to their title defence.
They’ve already endured one no-result earlier this season against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Meanwhile, RCB have more breathing room; even in case of rain affecting the outcome, they still have a viable shot at making the playoffs, and potentially securing a top-two finish.
Bengaluru has already seen one rain-shortened fixture this year, with their match against PBKS reduced to 14 overs per side.
The rescheduling of IPL 2025 could impact more than just a handful of matches. Bengaluru, which is set to host another game on May 23 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), remain under the radar with rain threats looming.
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, already having experienced weather disruptions earlier in the season, may face fresh challenges.
Meanwhile, Mumbai, where unseasonal rainfall has been reported over the past week, is slated to host a key fixture between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 21. With the playoff race heating up, any further washouts could significantly alter the qualification scenarios for multiple teams.
In what promised to be an emotional evening, RCB fans have planned to wear white T-shirts to honour Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket. The fans have planned to come out in huge numbers to hail Kolhi despite rain being predicted for the evening. And it promptly started raining well before the toss, but the fans continued to stay put in the stands.
The match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be Kohli’s first appearance since he shocked the cricketing world by announcing his sudden retirement from red-ball cricket on May 12, during the break in the tournament caused by India-Pakistan border tensions.
(IANS)
