IPL 2025 1st Match: KKR vs RCB IPL likely to abandoned as orange alert issued in Kolkata

IPL 2025 Opening Match Likely To Get Abandoned: The current champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders, are set to take on Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first match of the season on Saturday (March 22). The programs for the opening ceremony have also been fixed, in which artists like Disha Patani and Shreyas Ghoshal will perform. However, just a day before the opening ceremony, a shocking news has come out from Kolkata. The first match of this season is in danger of being completely cancelled, as the Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert.

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KKR vs RCB IPL likely to abandoned

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted thunderstorms and rain in South Bengal from Thursday to Sunday. An orange alert has been issued for March 22, the first day of the IPL 2025 match, while a yellow alert has been issued for Sunday.

Special Bulletin 3
Thunderstorm activity over the districts of West Bengal during 20th to 22nd March 2025. pic.twitter.com/SrfWq5JkWM

— IMD Kolkata (@ImdKolkata) March 20, 2025

Orange alert issued in Kolkata

According to AccuWeather, there is a 74% chance of rain in Kolkata on Saturday, while the chance of cloudy weather is 97%. The chance of rain will increase to 90% in the evening. So, it is almost certain that there will be a lot of rain at Eden Gardens on the first day of the 18th edition of the IPL. It is also difficult to say at the moment whether KKR and RCB will be able to play enough overs to bring a result.

It’s almost certain that there will be a lot of rain at Eden Gardens

By the way, a match to be held at Eden Gardens is already being rescheduled. CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) president Snehasish Ganguly had earlier said that the Knight Riders' home match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 6 is set to be shifted to Guwahati after the police expressed their inability to provide security for the IPL match due to 'Ram Navami' celebrations in the city on that day.

Knight Riders' home match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 6 is set to be shifted to Guwahati.

BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari had announced that more than 20,000 processions are being taken out in West Bengal to celebrate the festival. Ganguly, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), told news agency - We have informed the BCCI to reschedule the match, but there is no scope to reschedule the match later in the city and now I am hearing that it is being shifted to Guwahati. Also Read: IPL 2025: Full List of Injured Players and Their Replacements