The defending champs, Knight Riders (KKR), are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the first match of IPL 2025 this Saturday at Eden Gardens. But it looks like the weather might be a factor, as there’s over an 80% chance of rain in Kolkata on game day. Both teams will have new captains this season: Ajinkya Rahane will lead KKR, while Rajat Patidar takes the helm for RCB.
Ahead of the big game, a video of Rahane has gone viral online. It shows him seemingly running late for practice while the KKR team bus looks ready to leave without him. We haven’t confirmed if the video is real, but it shows Rahane sprinting with his bat in hand, trying to catch the bus.
As for the weather, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Kolkata. They’re predicting light to moderate rain, along with thunderstorms and strong winds leading up to Saturday. Recently, the city had some brief showers that caused one KKR practice match to be cut short after just one innings. Thankfully, both teams wrapped up their practice sessions despite some light rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
Looking ahead to the season, former KKR captain Sourav Ganguly mentioned that it’s too early to pick favorites for the title since all teams seem pretty balanced. It’s hard to say anything right now. The tournament is long and competitive, he said to the media.
