KKR look to stay alive as RCB aim for top-2 spot as the IPL finally resumes today after a one-week sabbatical.
KKR look to stay alive as they face RCB in a high-stakes encounter in the resumption of the IPL.
Following an unannounced ten-day break due to border tensions between India and Pakistan, the competition that kicked off IPL 2025 is now back in the spotlight. As the IPL nears its conclusion, the calm of the previous week has gradually given way to a spike in anticipation as the simmering tension has subsided and a ceasefire has been established.
In order to make the IPL’s restart feasible, logistics staff from all over the world have been working nonstop, navigating the chaos of last-minute travel modifications, cancelled plans, and stringent security procedures, even as a number of international players have gone home.
Amidst all of this chaos, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have had to get off to a quick start after only one complete session and a half (due to nighttime rain) to recover from a hint of rust and jet lag.
Over the past 48 hours, M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been bustling with activity. Virat Kohli’s return, which will be his first game since declaring his retirement from Test cricket last week, is a sentimental homecoming that is adding to the fervour.
Given the previous three days’ weather, KKR practiced in the early evening and RCB in the afternoon. While some players eased in more gingerly, others, like Mayank Agarwal, who was brought on late to replace the injured Devdutt Padikkal, were given extended runs.
Since placing second in 2016, RCB has failed to place in the top two. With eight victories, they are currently in second place and may break that record with just two more games. The road is far more uncertain for KKR.
In order to ignite an unusual net run-rate shootout and slip into the playoffs as the fourth-place club, they need more than just back-to-back victories to reach 15 points; they also need a complex series of other outcomes to go their way.