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The much-anticipated IPL 2025 season opener between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens faces a serious threat of abandonment due to heavy rain forecasts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Kolkata on March 22, predicting thunderstorms and significant rainfall in the region. According to Accuweather, there is a 74% chance of rain on Saturday, with cloud cover expected at 97%. The probability of showers rises to 90% in the evening, increasing concerns over whether the match can proceed. Adding to scheduling challenges, KKR’s home game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 6 is also set to be relocated to Guwahati. The shift comes after West Bengal police cited security concerns due to Ram Navami celebrations, with over 20,000 processions planned across the state. Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly confirmed the development, stating that rescheduling the match in Kolkata was not feasible. Despite these uncertainties, the IPL 2025 opening ceremony remains on track, featuring performances by Disha Patani and Shreyas Ghoshal. Fans will be hoping for a break in the weather to ensure the blockbuster KKR vs. RCB clash takes place as planned. Source: NDTV

India 267 for 6 (Kohli 84, Iyer 45, Rahul 42*, Ellis 2-49, Zampa 2-60) beat Australia 264 (Smith 73, Carey 61, Shami 3-48, Jadeja 2-40, Varun 2-49) by five wickets. Dubai will host the Champions Trophy final, and India will be there after overcoming a resilient Australian side in an intense semi-final. Though Australia had their moments, India’s class and composure ultimately secured their victory. Virat Kohli, a symbol of consistency, played a pivotal role once again. Having earlier crafted a chase-masterclass against Pakistan, he looked set for another century before an unexpected shot ended his innings at 84. However, by then, he had surpassed 8000 runs in ODI chases and had left India requiring only 40 off 44 balls. KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya finished the job efficiently, with Rahul sealing the victory in style with a six over long-on off Glenn Maxwell. Despite Australia hitting more boundaries (20 fours and eight sixes) than India (16 fours and seven sixes), India’s game plan revolved around calculated aggression and smart running between the wickets. They faced just 124 dot balls compared to Australia’s 153 and ran 158 of their runs, significantly more than Australia’s 129. India’s four-spinner strategy proved effective on a slow and low pitch. While the surface didn’t offer extravagant turn, the Indian spinners controlled the game better than their Australian counterparts, maintaining pressure by attacking the stumps and restricting scoring areas. Their collective dot-ball percentage stood at 50%, whereas Australia’s was just over 39%. Australia showed promise at multiple junctures. Choosing to bat first, they eyed a total of 300, with three key batters threatening to turn the game in their favor. However, all three fell just as they seemed to be taking control. Source: ESPN

India will take on Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday after securing a 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage match. Meanwhile, New Zealand will travel to Lahore to face South Africa in the second semi-final on Wednesday. A complex scheduling situation has resulted in logistical challenges for some teams. Both Australia and South Africa had initially flown to Dubai in preparation for the knockouts. However, South Africa will now have to return to Lahore for their semi-final match against New Zealand. An ICC official stated that the decision to keep Australia in Dubai was made to provide them with maximum preparation time for the semi-final on March 4. The tournament schedule was impacted by India’s refusal to play any of their matches in Pakistan. As a result, their semi-final was pre-determined to be held in Dubai, regardless of their standing in Group A. The PCB had earlier attempted to convince India to play in Lahore, but the BCCI cited a lack of government approval for travel to Pakistan. New Zealand is set to fly to Lahore early Monday morning, while South Africa will return to Pakistan later in the day after spending roughly 36 hours in Dubai. Following India’s dominant group-stage performance, captain Rohit Sharma emphasized the importance of momentum heading into the knockout stage. “You try to win every game and correct mistakes quickly,” Rohit said. “Australia has a rich history in ICC tournaments, but we’ll focus on our game and look forward to the contest.”