IPL 2025: Rain scare looms over the Eden Gardens opener, ready to be star-struck
Telegraph | 21 March 2025
IPL returns to Eden Gardens on Saturday. The spectre of thunderstorms, a familiar foe for the tourney, also looms over the city for the next few days.
Defending champions KKR play RCB at the Eden in the IPL opener. The Met office has warned of thunderstorms in what could be an opener for the squall season.
Around 4.20pm on Saturday, the KKR team bus arrived at Eden Gardens. By then, a crowd of a few hundred had gathered outside the stadium. The loudest roars were reserved for Andre Russell and Rinku Singh.
But the decibel shot past the roof around 5.15pm, when the RCB team bus arrived. No surprises for guessing why.
Virat Kohli, RCB’s talisman who is eyeing his first IPL trophy, is still the most-loved player in Calcutta, the roar showed. As did the online ticket redemption counters near the Mohammedan Sporting Club tent in Maidan.
More than half of the people Metro met at the counters said they would root for Kohli on Saturday.
Rounak Singha, who works with a fintech company, and Pamela Chatterjee, an MBA student, were among them. “He has won almost everything but the IPL. He needs this trophy, he deserves it,” said Singha.
Ballygunge resident Devendra Jain collected tickets and then bought both KKR and RCB shirts and headbands from one of the many stalls dotting the area.
“The kids in the house are split in two camps. I have to maintain balance,” Jain said.
He will be at the stadium with a group of eight.
Barely a kilometre away, B.C. Roy Market, popularly known as Maidan Market, was also busy. The market is the destination for anything related to sports.
Round the year, jerseys of popular football clubs rule the roost at most shops. During the IPL season, KKR, RCB, CSK and other such shirts make their way to the display.
When Metro visited B.C. Roy Market on Thursday, Dre Russ (Andre Russell) and Rinku Singh found place beside the Kylian Mbappes and Erling Haalands of the world.
“Rinku Singh and Russell are the most popular KKR players. But there is no comparison with Virat Kohli. Only MSD can come close,” said a trader.
One purple and gold player can tilt the scales in the stands. On Thursday, many fans prayed for his arrival on match day. “Even if I catch a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan, it is crazy,” said Kunal Singh, who has got two Club House tickets.
Sources said SRK was expected at the Eden on Saturday.
Also expected is rain.
“Due to the presence of favourable wind pattern and strong moisture incursion from the Bay... thunderstorm with lightning and strong gusty surface wind very likely to occur in some districts of West Bengal during March 20-22,” a Met bulletin has warned.
“Thundershowers are not ruled out in Calcutta on Friday and Saturday,” said a Met official.