Dance, drama, action！it's not a Bollywood script but the grand kickoff of the Indian Premier League (IPL)! The 18th season is set to begin on March 22, 2025, with an exciting opening match between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
As fans gear up for this electrifying clash at Eden Gardens, it seems the rain gods have other plans！ones that might prevent the game from happening. There is a high chance the match could be canceled due to heavy rainfall in Kolkata.
Rain expected in Kolkata
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thunderstorms and rain in South Bengal from March 21 to 24, with an orange alert issued for March 22, signaling heavy rain and strong winds. A yellow alert follows on March 23, indicating slightly milder conditions.
According to AccuWeather, there is a 66% chance of rain at 11 AM IST on March 22. However, conditions are expected to improve as the day progresses, with the rain probability dropping to 20% in the afternoon. By the evening, the forecast looks much better, with only a 7% chance of rainfall at 7 PM IST, offering hope to fans attending the season opener.
March 20: 24＜C - 34＜C | Rain or thundershowers with strong winds
March 21: 22＜C - 32＜C | Rain or thundershowers with strong winds
March 22: 22＜C - 29＜C | Thunderstorm with rain (High chance of match cancellation)
March 23: 23＜C - 30＜C | Thunderstorm with rain
March 24: 24＜C - 32＜C | Partly cloudy sky
March 25: 24＜C - 33＜C | Clear sky
That said, the weather remains unpredictable, and rain could still disrupt the highly anticipated opening ceremony. This match is particularly significant as both teams will play under new leadership. Rajat Patidar has been appointed RCB's new captain, while Ajinkya Rahane takes over as KKR¨s captain, replacing Shreyas Iyer. Venkatesh Iyer will serve as KKR¨s vice-captain.
Kolkata Knight Riders 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?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 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
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