The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025's resumption was dampened by rain playing spoilsport in Bengaluru. On May 20, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the venues for playoffs and shifted league stage match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from Bengaluru to Lucknow. Following the announcement, Delhi Capitals (DC) co-owner Parth Jindal wrote a letter to the IPL requesting to shift their must-win match against Mumbai Indians (MI) from Wankhede Stadium to other venue.
The rain threat looms large on the virtual quarterfinal between the two teams. The Indian met department issue a yellow alert on May 20 for the next four days.
"The forecast in Mumbai is for heavy rains and there is a strong likelihood that the game will be washed out," he wrote as per ESPNCricinfo. "Just as the game between RCB vs SRH has been moved out of Bengaluru in the quest for consistency and in the interest of the league it is my request that tomorrow's game also be moved to a different location as we have known for the better part of 6 days that the forecast for 21st in Mumbai is for heavy showers."
On May 21, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore also wrote a strong-worded letter to the BCCI COO Hemang Amin saying that the rule change could have helped their franchise had it been implemented in the match against RCB.
"The washout ended KKR's chances of making the playoffs. Such ad hoc decisions and inconsistencies of applying them are not appropriate for a tournament of this standing," Mysore said, adding, "I am sure you also understand why we feel aggrieved," Mysore wrote in the letter.
How rain can affect DC's chances
DC need to win their remaining two matches to qualify for playoffs. If the match in Mumbai is abandoned due to rain, DC and MI will share one point each. Even if DC win their next match, they will have to depend on the outcome of MI's last fixture against Punjab Kings (PBKS). If MI beat PBKS, they will advance to the playoffs with 17 points.