The opening ceremony has ended and the toss has also taken place. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane wins toss, opts to bowl against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025 opener 

Shreya Ghosal is here. pic.twitter.com/apPUNS1mG4

— Kohlistic (@Kohlistic18) March 22, 2025

As the current images from the ground suggest, there is no overcast condition. After orange alert was issued for Friday and Saturday in Kolkata, it rained in the morning leading to massive apprehension. However, rain has relented and we are expecting the opening ceremony to start on time. 

Live scenes from Eden Gardens pic.twitter.com/AkfZg7dSUy

— RCBIANS OFFICIAL (@RcbianOfficial) March 22, 2025

Weather Update Time-5:06PM
No rain - covers are now removed and we are all set for the match.
Eden Garden Visuals #KKRvsRCB #KKRvsRCB #KolkataWeather #IPL2025 #ipltickets #Cricket #Weatherupda pic.twitter.com/hPZIhHA47Y

— Voice of Cricket (@AdityaPrakaash) March 22, 2025

pic.twitter.com/l7RQ5SYBuG

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 22, 2025

Amid the rain prediction in Kolkata, you can catch all the live updates of the IPL 2025 Opening Ceremony at the Eden Gardens. Catch all the updates here. 

It's 3:41pm here in Kolkata & weather is Sunny.
So no need to worrie match will happen...#KKRvRCB #Kolkata pic.twitter.com/VLziY64V9F

— 𝖩𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇𝕏 (@mahixcavi7) March 22, 2025

RCB's Predicted XI vs KKR: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

Impact Player: Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh

KKR's Predicted XI vs RCB: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Impact player: Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Breaking 3.00PM update
Kolkata’s weather is sunny now!!#Action #KKRvRCB #ViratKohli𓃵 #WorldPoetryDay#IPL2025 #राजा_हो_तो_ऐसा #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/w4KdkH72pU

— Voice of Cricket (@AdityaPrakaash) March 22, 2025

Now even god doesn't want Kkr to get even a single point.
Weather is clear at Eden gardens, kolkata #KKRvsRCB #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/NF8m1zBLd2

— Dr Artistic Soul (@dr_artisticsoul) March 22, 2025

Again, no rain at the moment. Sun is out over the Eden Gardens as well. However, there are a few patches of cloud over the stadium. Hopefully, we will have clear skies before toss.

Breaking 2.23 PM update
Kolkata's weather is cleared now!!#Action #KKRvRCB #ViratKohli #WorldPoetryDay#IPL2025 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/6gq5Teubp9

— Voice of Cricket (@AdityaPrakaash) March 22, 2025

Behold! The King of Bollywood has arrived!
The one and only Pathaan—Shah Rukh Khan—is here to set the #TATAIPL 18 Opening Ceremony stage on fire and conquer hearts with his unstoppable charisma!
18 glorious years of IPL deserves a celebration fit for a king—brace… pic.twitter.com/FHzUVERZkt

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 22, 2025

"God bless you. Please be healthy, be happy. And thank you Chandu (Chandrakant Pandit) sir for looking after them. Welcome aboard to the new members. Thank you Ajinkya for joining us and being our captain, god bless you. I hope you will find a good home here and play well with all of us. God bless you all," said Shah Rukh Khan. 

Kolkata's famed duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy have often dictated terms with the ball, making spin a crucial factor, especially if the conditions assist turn. The dampness on the pitch could also aid seamers early on, making the powerplay overs a decisive phase in the game.

Kolkata weather update - The sky is clearing , the sun has risen.
1.10 pm
Kolkata knight riders vs Royal challengers Bangalore.pic.twitter.com/wRrVRKJl2C

— Dhruv Thakur (@Dhruv_Thakur11) March 22, 2025

Brace yourself for a symphony of magic like never before as the soulful Shreya Ghoshal takes the stage at the #TATAIPL 18 Opening Ceremony!
Celebrate 18 glorious years with a voice that has revolutionised melody@shreyaghoshal pic.twitter.com/mJB9T5EdEe

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 19, 2025

Amid the rain scare, the Eden Gardens is getting prepared for an electrifying opening ceremony of IPL 2025. This opening ceremony will be graced by numerous Bollywood stars. The star cast for the curtain-raiser event are Bollywood diva Disha Patani and singer Shreya Ghosal and global superstar Karan Aujla. It will be a glittering opening ceremony of around 30 minutes.

If the match does take place, Eden Gardens promises an electrifying contest between bat and ball. Traditionally, the venue has been a batting paradise, with short boundaries and a high-scoring history. It was at this very ground that Punjab Kings chased down a record 262 runs, the highest successful chase in T20 history.

Kolkata Weather Update -The sky is clearing, the sun has risen
12.24 pm#KKRvsRCB pic.twitter.com/T9yQw6fdr3

— Sk Md Rishad (@SkMdRishad) March 22, 2025

Weather Alert from MET Dept: Skies to clear after 6 PM with minimal chances of rain!
Here are some LIVE photos from Kolkata!
Good news for cricket fans—despite rain since yesterday, KKR vs RCB at Eden Gardens is set to go ahead as planned! #KKRvsRCB #IPL2025… pic.twitter.com/eURJzSybYr

— vampire of sports (@vampireofsports) March 22, 2025

According to IPL regulations, the league-stage matches have a one-hour extension window, meaning the cut-off time for a five-over match is 10:56pm, with play needing to conclude by 12:06am. Kolkata has already experienced rain disruptions in the lead-up to the season opener, with a KKR intra-squad practice match being washed out after just one innings.

Weather Update from Kolkata!
Dark clouds engulf the city as rain pours ahead of the KKR vs RCB Opening game. pic.twitter.com/uTBzCEwppw

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) March 22, 2025

KKR vs RCB IPL Head-to-Head

Matches played: 34

KKR Won: 20

RCB Won: 14

No Result: 0

Nearly 4 km from Eden Gardens, This is the situation of weather as of 10:00 AM. Windy situation, the sky is bit cloudy, but no rain as of now.#KKRvsRCB Rain #KKRvRCB #ShahRukhKhan #EdensGardenGame #Kolkata #KolkataWeather #kolkatarain #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/M799kQKqoR

— Md Afshan Khurshid (@AfshanMd) March 22, 2025

According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the Indian Met Department (IMD) has issued an "orange alert in Kolkata due to the heavy rainfall. The IPL 2025 opener between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is highly likely to get affected. 

A little rain won’t stop us!
The ground’s got its cozy cover, and the drainage system will be ready to save the day 𝘒𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘪 𝘠𝘦𝘩 𝘐𝘗𝘓 𝘩𝘢𝘪, 𝘺𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘣 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘪!#IPLonJioStar SEASON OPENER #KKRvRCB | SAT, 22nd March, 5:30 PM | LIVE on… pic.twitter.com/UwdonS9FeN

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 21, 2025

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata has forecast that there is a “very high probability” of “thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds”.

A reunion that hits different! pic.twitter.com/4x4blzs5yF

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 21, 2025

𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚! 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 pic.twitter.com/AgUJz8liDz

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 22, 2025

A steady drizzle in the evening brought premature end to evening practice sessions of Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on the eve of their IPL 2025 opener at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. Practice began as scheduled at 5pm, but rain set in around 6pm, bringing the ground staff into action while the players had to pack up.

Weather improvement in Kolkata
-Good News for Fan weather forecast showing some improvement at eden garden Kolkata.
-Yesterday They were predicting 80 % rain from 9.00 pm , situation is much better now.#IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/KBkqKEjPUa

— Rohit Baliyan (@rohit_balyan) March 22, 2025

Kolkata weather
6 pm: 40% rain chances
7 pm: 40% rain chances pic.twitter.com/gyXsFzykOd

— khabresh (@khab_resh) March 22, 2025

So, only a few hours left for the start of the IPL 2025. Defending champions KKR host RCB at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata for the tournament opener. However, there is a heavy chance of rain.

Stay tuned for more updates!