The 34th match of the 2025 Indian Premier League would pit Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against Punjab Kings (PBKS). In Bengaluru, the match will be played on April 18 at the famous M Chinnaswamy Stadium, precisely 17 years after RCB and KKR played their first IPL encounter there. But before they square off, there might be a significant obstacle for both sides to overcome.
Rainfall has been steady in Bengaluru during the past five days or more, particularly in the evenings. The torrential rains have frequently caused traffic to be blocked for extended periods of time in various parts of the city. Rainstorms have plagued M Chinnaswamy Stadium, located in the heart of the garden city, throughout its existence. A better drainage system was one of the motivations behind the installation of the Sub-Air system.
Even if it rains a lot before it stops, the venue’s Sub-Air system can drain the water faster than any stadium in the nation. 10,000 gallons of water can be cleared each minute by the 200-horsepower device created by US-based Sub-Air. As a result, the likelihood of the game being cancelled is low.
What will happen if the match is washed out?
Due to the pre-monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea, which hit the Western Ghats, the entire coastal region in the western part of the country gets affected. The only region in the entire Western Ghats where there is an open passage for the winds to travel is the 40-50 kilometre barrier through which the wind travel towards Bengaluru to often producing unnatural rains.
The same winds have been responsible for the Bengaluru rains in the last few days. As per AccuWeather, there is a good chance of heavy rainfall in Bengaluru from 5:30 PM to 8 PM (IST). The pace of the showers could slow down after 8 PM, which would ideally call for a delayed start to the match, and even some overs may be lost.
What is the cut-off time?
The umpires will wait till 11:30 PM for the game to start. If the conditions don’t allow the play to happen, there will not be any reserve day, as it is a group stage game. In such a scenario, the match will be declared a washout, leading to a ‘No Result’, which would lead to both RCB and PBKS sharing a point each. The hosts will jump to second, while Shreyas Iyer & Co. will also get a point to climb to the third spot, with the net run-rates (NRR) of both teams unaffected.
How will a washout affect RCB’s Playoff scenarios in the IPL 2025?
This might just be a hypothetical scenario. Imagining RCB or PBKS to have won the game, which they otherwise wouldn’t in the case of a washout, it would mean the loss of a point. In a hypothetical case, if teams below PBKS and RCB in the points table currently pull off an incredible comeback, it could potentially mean the washout has indirectly affected their qualification scenario.
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