IPL Bulletin on March 22: From Rain Likely to Impact Season Opener to CSK vs MI El Clasico Hype

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The much awaited day is here as the eighteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets under way today at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, bringing all the hype surrounding the biggest cricket carnival.

While the season is pencilled in to start on Saturday (March 22), weather gods may not be kind on cricket fanatics on the day of the curtain-raiser. After spending the past month together in the Champions Trophy victory journey, two Indian teammates are set to battle in the IPL 2025 opener.

Plus, a seasoned all-rounder is being backed to lead a spin department, while one of his former state teammates lost his commentators post ahead of the campaign as two rivals prepare to face off in the opening weekend. Here is a look at the IPL Bulletin on March 22:

KKR vs RCB season opener to be impacted by rain

The IPL 2025 season opener between the reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata could be impacted by rain.

According to reports, the Indian Met Department (IMD) has issued an "orange alert" for the area. "Light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds are expected" until Saturday. There is forecast for rain until Sunday in Kolkata, casting doubts over a full match.

Varun Chakravarthy excited for battle against Virat Kohli

KKR's mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy expressed excitement for a potential battle against star India and RCB batter Virat Kohli. Virat has faced Varun in seven innings with a cautious approach, scoring 40 runs in 39 balls at a strike rate of just over 102. Varun has dismissed Virat once and has conceded two fours and a six against the Indian legend.

Krunal Pandya backed to lead RCB spin department

RCB ead coach Andy Flower opened up on the team's spin bowling attack, calling Krunal Pandya a "streetwise operator" and adding that it does not expect a young Suyash Sharma to be "Shane Warne" as he starts his career.

RCB attack relies on the experience of Krunal, who has delivered fine performances in domestic cricket. Backing him will be all-rounders Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and a young spinner Suyash, who had his first taste of IPL with KKR back in 2023.

Irfan Pathan axed from IPL commentators role

The list of the starcast commentators for IPL 2025 on Star Sports and JioHotstar was revealed on Friday (March 21), but there was no place for former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan on the list.

According to a report in MyKhel, a day before the biggest T20 bonanza begins in Kolkata, Pathan was left out of the list because of his personal vendetta against some of the current Indian stars.

The report further added that several cricketers complained about his commentary and said that he was bringing in his personal judgment, which didn't go down well with them, and in fact one of the star players actually blocked him on his phone after hearing the way he was taking about a particular player during the Australian series.

Virat Kohli set to become third Indian to play 400 T20 matches

Star India and RCB batter Virat Kohli will become the third Indian player to play 400 T20s or more when he takes to the field for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign opener against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.

In 399 T20s, Virat has scored 12,886 runs in 382 innings at an average of 41.43, with nine centuries and 97 fifties. His best score is 122*. After Dinesh Karthik (412 matches) and Rohit Sharma (448 matches), he will be the third player from India to play his 400th T20.

Former players say MI vs CSK is biggest rivalry

Legendary South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has said that Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings "is the biggest rivalry" of IPL. The former Mumbai Indians coach added that many great players are playing in IPL who like to perform and take the game away from their opponents.

Meanwhile, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has experience of playing for both CSK and MI, said Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians rivalry is like India and Pakistan of IPL before the two sides clash in IPL 2025's first El Clasico on Sunday (March 23).