KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 opener faces threat of washout with orange alert issued in West Bengal

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to begin on Saturday, March 22, with defending champions KKR hosting RCB at the Eden Gardens. The opening clash, however, faces the threat of a washout, which is bad news for fans just a day before the start of the league.

The IPL 2025 opening game is likely to be abandoned as the city of Kolkata is under threat of heavy rainfall. An orange alert has been issued for some parts of West Bengal from March 20 to 22 by the Regional Meteorological Centre Kolkata.

“Thunderstorm activity over the districts of West Bengal from 20th to 22nd March 2025. Due to the presence of favourable wind patterns & strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels, thunderstorms with lightning and strong gusty surface winds are very likely to occur in some districts of West Bengal during 20-22 March 2025,” it said in a statement (via Hindustan Times).

The IPL 2025 season opener is set to be graced by performances from several stars such as Shreya Ghoshal, Karan Aujla, and Disha Patani. However, rain could play spoilsport to the festivities.

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New captains for KKR and RCB in IPL 2025

The opening game of IPL 2025 between KKR and RCB wil be vital for both teams as they are being led by new captains this season. KKR released Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the title in 2024. They announced experienced and senior pro Ajinkya Rahane as their new skipper with Venkatesh Iyer as his deputy.

On the other hand, RCB let go of Faf du Plessis, who led them from 2022 to 2024. They finished fourth and made the playoffs last year but lost the eliminator. With Du Plessis gone, the franchise named Rajat Patidar as the new captain.

Both teams will be eager to begin their 2025 season campaigns with a win. As for their record at the Eden Gardens, KKR have beaten RCB eight times from 12 matches between the two teams at this venue.