IPL resumes after week-long pause; Bengaluru to host restart clash vs KKR
Hyderabad: The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025), which was paused for a week due to heightened Indo-Pak tensions, is set to resume Saturday. The BCCI has finalised a revised schedule to complete the remaining 13 league matches across six venues: Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.
Coincidentally, just like the season opener, the restart fixture will feature defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. But persistent rainfall in Bengaluru has raised concerns among fans about match disruption.
The final league match is scheduled for May 27 between Lucknow and Bengaluru. BCCI is yet to announce venues for the playoffs. Qualifier 1 will be held on May 29, Eliminator on May 30, Qualifier 2 on June 1, and the final on June 3.
There are unconfirmed reports that cheerleaders and DJs may be excluded from the resumed matches, but the BCCI has not officially commented. Fans in Hyderabad are disappointed as one match previously scheduled in the city has been moved to Delhi in the new plan.
The May 8 fixture between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Dharamshala had to be halted midway due to rain, with only 10.1 overs completed. Around that time, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals were officially knocked out of the playoff race.
At the top, Gujarat Titans and RCB are tied at 16 points. Punjab Kings (15), Mumbai Indians (14), and Delhi Capitals (13) are still in contention. Kolkata and Lucknow are one match away from elimination.
If RCB defeat KKR on Saturday, they will become the first team to secure a playoff berth with 18 points. Mumbai has only two matches left. One more loss would end their playoff hopes. Punjab and Delhi each have three games remaining. If they win at least two, and Mumbai slips, the playoff race could tighten.
The abandoned Punjab–Delhi match in Dharamshala will be replayed from the beginning.
All eyes are on Virat Kohli in the RCB-KKR clash. This will be his first game since announcing retirement from Tests. The match holds emotional value for Bengaluru fans. RCB supporters are planning a tribute by wearing all-white shirts—turning Chinnaswamy into a white sea.
Delhi Capitals suffered a blow ahead of key matches. Star pacer Mitchell Starc informed the franchise he won’t be returning to India. He took 14 wickets in 12 games this season. DC has yet to name a replacement.
Opener Faf du Plessis’s availability also remains unclear. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman has received an NOC from his cricket board and is expected to replace Jake Fraser-McGurk in upcoming matches.