Kolkata Weather Report, KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025: The IPL 2025 opening day saw no disruptions due to rain despite prediction by the meteorological department. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are bowling first against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata as the fans take a sigh of relief. Half-centuries by Virat Kohli (59 not out) and Phil Salt (56) went hard in power-play to set the base for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to chase down 175 and beat defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets in the first game of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Eden Gardens here on Saturday. After Krunal Pandya's 3-29 and Josh Hazlewood's 2-22 helped RCB stage a comeback and restrict KKR to 174/8, Salt and Kohli were blazing from the word go to stitch a 95-run opening partnership. Though Salt fell just before the halfway mark of the chase, Kohli remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls, as RCB wrapped the emphatic win with 22 balls to spare. (KKR vs RCB Highlights)
Here are the highlights of Kolkata's Eden Gardens weather ahead of IPL 2025 opening match -
- 17:59 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: No rain or cloud!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.
- 14:00 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: Shah Rukh Khan praises Ajinkya Rahane"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.
- 13:56 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: Kolkata's strong spin duoKolkata'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.
- 13:12 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: Details of the opening ceremonyAmid 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.
- 13:01 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: Eden Gardens, a batting paradiseIf 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.
- 11:50 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: What IPL guidelines say?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.
- 10:22 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: Orange alert in KolkataAccording 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.
- 09:29 (IST)Kolkata Weather Updates Live: Abrupt end to practice on SaturdayA 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.