IPL 2025: Rain Washes Out RCB vs KKR Match, KKR Knocked Out of Playoff Race

May, 18 2025

Stormy Night in Bengaluru: No Play Between RCB and KKR

Fans arrived at the IPL 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders hoping for a thriller, but the Bengaluru skies had other ideas. With a threatening 70% chance of rain forecast, it wasn’t long before everyone realized cricket wouldn’t win over the weather. The Chinnaswamy Stadium, famous for high-scoring games and roaring crowds, ended up eerily silent as rain took center stage.

The conditions were poor even before the schedule got underway—28°C, humidity pushing 90%, and clouds as thick as the tension between these two sides. By toss time at 7 PM, the rain went from drizzle to downpour, soaking not just the pitch, but KKR’s playoff prospects as well. Neither team had a chance to step out for even a brief contest; no toss, no line-ups, just disappointed faces in the stands.

KKR’s Playoff Chase Ends in Frustration

This no-result stung especially hard for KKR. The team, featuring stalwarts like Ajinkya Rahane, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine, had one foot in the playoffs earlier in the season. Their campaign fizzled as they needed a win to stay relevant. Instead, all they got was one lonely point and a list of what-ifs. Now, their only hope is for other teams to dramatically underperform in the remaining league matches, a scenario about as likely as another rain-free week in Bengaluru this season.

RCB, on the other hand, will barely complain. Virat Kohli and his squad, including the likes of Rajat Patidar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, move further into playoff territory thanks to an uncontested point. The team’s campaign, already steady, just picked up a crucial bonus while others slog it out on the field.

This rainout flips the playoff picture on its head. The wet outfield made play impossible, and the staff barely bothered to roll out the covers, knowing the weather gods weren’t letting up any time soon. The Chinnaswamy’s reliable, batting-friendly deck never got its day—but that’s probably the only thing both teams can agree on tonight.

People who tuned in expecting fireworks instead watched a downpour wash away hopes, records, and strategies. Now, as the IPL 2025 league stage draws to a close, one thing is certain: weather, not wickets, dictated terms in Bengaluru.