Rain Threatens IPL 2025 Opener as IMD Issues Orange Alert for Kolkata and Other Bengal Districts
KKR vs RCB Today: The opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to take place at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Saturday.
However, the threat of adverse weather looms over the highly anticipated clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Scheduled for March 22 at Eden Gardens, the match could be impacted by rain, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an “orange alert” for parts of West Bengal. According to IMD’s daily bulletin, “light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds” is expected over Gangetic West Bengal on match day.
Kolkata Weather Forecast
The weather department predicts thunderstorms and rain throughout the day in Kolkata. The temperature is expected to range between a minimum of 22°C and a maximum of 29°C.
On the eve of the match (Friday), both KKR and RCB had to cut short their practice sessions due to persistent drizzle. Practice began around 5 PM, but rain started at around 6 PM, forcing the ground staff into action while players wrapped up their training.
The match is set to begin at 7:30 PM, with the toss scheduled for 7 PM. Before the match, the IPL 2025 opening ceremony will feature performances by Shreya Ghoshal, Karan Aujla, and Disha Patani, among others.
Team Lineups
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad:
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Squad:
Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.
