Have a look at the IPL 2025 rain and reserve day rules
A persistent downpour in Kolkata on Friday night forced the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to abruptly end their practice sessions, potentially dampening the excitement for the Indian Premier League 2025 season opening.
With heavy showers hitting the city the night before the game during both teams’ practice, there is a chance of rain during the game. Rain is predicted on the match day, which makes the weather forecast unfavourable as well.
IPL 2025 rain rules explained, cutoff time, minimum overs, reserve day and tickets refund process details
Good News everyone. No rain right now,sun has come out.
Location – Near Eden Gardens.#KKRvsRCB #KolkataWeather pic.twitter.com/LTrjfQKMOF
— G O P A L 🧸 (@AmiyaChanda1) March 22, 2025
In case of rain, the umpires will first attempt to conduct a shortened game of atleast 10 overs per side.
Overs will begin to be trimmed in IPL 2025 if the match is affected by rain and cannot begin an hour after the planned start time. To guarantee a result in the 2025 IPL opener, both sides must play at least five overs. Both teams will split one point if a five-over match cannot be played. Since it’s a league stage game, there isn’t a reserve day for the match. There is a reserve day for all the four IPL 2025 playoff matches and if there is any rain, the interrupted matches will be continued or played on the reserve days.
The IPL rules provide a one-hour buffer for league matches, allowing play to continue until 12:06 AM, with a five-over game cutoff set for 10:56 PM and if the match is abandoned, both teams will be awarded a point each.
According to the official ticketing guidelines, refunds (less any applicable administration fees and taxes) will only be issued if the match is cancelled or abandoned without a single ball being bowled and even if one ball is bowled, spectators will not be eligible for a refund, regardless of how much play follows or whether the match eventually gets abandoned.
Refunds can be availed via the ticketing platform you used to purchase the tickets online. For those who bought physical tickets or collected them from box office counters at Eden Gardens, refunds can be claimed at the venue and holders must bring the original ticket to the counter to process the refund request.
The Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast reads: “A trough runs from central Odisha to Vidarbha, and there is wind confluence over east and adjoining central India due to the above trough and anticyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels. Isolated to scattered light or moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds likely over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on March 20 and 21,” it added.
Thunderstorms with lightning and strong gusty surface winds are very likely to occur in some districts of West Bengal during 20-22 March 2025, according to the Kolkata Regional Meteorological Centre.
In terms of the game, both clubs will be entering the competition with a new skipper, ushering in a new era for them. Rajat Patidar will take over as RCB’s leader for the first time, succeeding Faf du Plessis.
Rahane was acquired at the mega auction for his base price of Rs. 1.5 crore in the expedited round, whilst Patidar has been a member of the RCB setup since 2021. In the 2022 season, the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player was a member of the Kolkata-based team.
The sun is shining bright here at the Eden Gardens
Clouds are clearing current time
1: 03 pm hope it stays clear#KKRvsRCB pic.twitter.com/eI7aejOavz— BeingTheElitE (@Ramesh415414) March 22, 2025