IPL 2025 restarts with a washout as match between RCB and KKR gets abandoned due to rain

This match was highly anticipated for several reasons. Following the league’s unexpected suspension on May 8, this game was designated for resumption. Additionally, it marked RCB’s first match after the retirement of Virat Kohli from Test cricket, with many fans expected to pay their respects to the global icon at the stadium.

For KKR, this match was crucial as they were positioned sixth, with only two games remaining before this encounter. After the washout, they have accumulated just one point, bringing their total to 12 points from 13 matches. Meanwhile, RCB has ascended to the top of the table, having gained one point that increases their total to 17 points from 12 matches. Their next match is at home on May 23 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, followed by an away game in Lucknow against the home team in their final league match.

Positioned to clinch a playoff berth, RCB could potentially solidify their spot in the final four even before their next match, contingent upon a loss by either Punjab Kings or Delhi Capitals in tomorrow’s games. Punjab Kings will compete against Rajasthan Royals in an afternoon match in Jaipur, while Delhi Capitals will face Gujarat Titans later in the evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Almost an hour and a half into RCB’s training session at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Friday, Virat Kohli joined the batting group for some practice. After executing a couple of sharp straight drives and pull shots, there was a short pause in the session. He appeared displeased. His entrance onto the practice pitch, even in an empty stadium, coincided with the sound system blasting the RCB team anthem. He expressed his dissatisfaction to enough individuals nearby to have it turned off, restoring silence, punctuated only by the sound of the ball striking the bat and the surrounding conversations.

He will not enjoy such fortune or control over the events on Saturday, when the IPL resumes after an eight-day hiatus at a venue where the enthusiastic crowd will arrive with increased energy. During this week of inactivity, Kohli announced his departure from Test cricket with a straightforward Instagram post, and he is now set to receive a heartfelt tribute from the RCB supporters, who plan to attend dressed in white.

RCB’s two victories in five home matches do not accurately reflect the extent to which their fans consistently elevate the atmosphere here – there is a steadfast consistency to the unabashed support they have provided year after year. For many of them, it must feel like déjà vu, as the excitement for the first title builds once more with RCB comfortably positioned in second place. Amidst singing praises for Kohli and his Test career, and fervently rallying behind the team for a third home win that will secure a playoff spot, the emotions in the home section are sure to soar to new heights.

The inconsistency displayed by the Kolkata Knight Riders this season has deprived their fans, who are known for their passion, of the joys they once experienced. They have been removed from the emotional highs of last season’s satisfying conclusion and instead find themselves on a journey filled with utter frustration. The exhilarating moments of last May, when they clinched their third title, have been succeeded by the disheartening reality of not being able to secure even two consecutive victories until late April of this season. Their campaign is precariously balanced, hanging by the thinnest of threads, which could snap even if they manage to achieve two wins in a row.