IPL 2025, RCB vs PBKS: What will happen if Match 34 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru is washed out?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 34th match of the IPL 2025. The match will take place at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 18, exactly 17 years after the first-ever IPL match took place between RCB and KKR at the same venue. However, there could be a major hurdle for both the sides to cross for their face-off.

Over the last five days or so, the city of Bengaluru has witnessed consistent rains, especially in the evening period. The rains have been heavy, often blocking the traffic for longer period in several regions of the city. M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is in the central part of the garden city, has been prone to rain in all of its history. It was one of the reasons why the Sub-Air system was installed to have an improved drainage system.

Even if a heavy rain occurs before it stops, the Sub-Air system at the venue can drain the water quicker than any stadium in the country. The 200-horsepower machine developed by US-based Sub-Air can clear a whopping 10,000 litres of water per minute. Hence, the chances of the match getting washed out are not too high.

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.