Raipur, May 13: The highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced delays due to persistent rain at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur. The match, scheduled to start at 7:30 PM, could not commence on time.
At 4:30 PM, the entire field was covered for about 30 minutes due to rain. Light drizzles were observed around 6:15 PM, briefly exposing part of the pitch. However, the field was soon covered again, with super sopper machines working to dry the surface.
By 6:35 PM, rain intensified, accompanied by thunder. Fortunately, the rain stopped just five minutes before the scheduled toss at 7 PM. On-field umpires Rohan Pandit and Nitin Menon, along with fourth umpire Kaushik Gandhi, inspected the ground. The ground staff carefully removed the covers where water had accumulated. A further pitch inspection is set for 8:15 PM local time.
The pitch in Raipur has not favored batsmen, and bowlers are expected to exploit the conditions. RCB enters this match buoyed by a thrilling last-ball victory against Mumbai Indians at the same venue.
Currently, RCB holds the second position in the points table, having won 7 out of 11 matches. A win today would propel them to the top. Meanwhile, KKR remains unbeaten in their last four matches and needs a victory to stay in the playoff race.
If the match is canceled due to rain, both teams will receive one point each. This would leave RCB with 15 points from 12 matches, maintaining their second spot, while KKR would be left with only 10 points after 11 matches, a significant setback for them.
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