RCB-SRH moved to Lucknow; IPL playoffs in Mullanpur and Ahmedabad

The IPL has relocated Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) final home fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), on May 23, from Bengaluru to Lucknow due to adverse weather conditions in South India. As a result, RCB will now play their last two matches - against SRH and their final fixture against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27 - at the Ekana Stadium.

SRH, who were scheduled to fly to Bengaluru on Tuesday evening, have been advised to stay put in Lucknow, where they had played against LSG on May 19. The late change has been necessitated due to a yellow alert issued by the meteorological department in Bengaluru that has predicted "heavy to very heavy rainfall" in the city until Thursday.

RCB's previous home game, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last Friday, was abandoned without a ball bowled after incessant rainfall lashed the city. Since then, RCB have stayed indoors owing to rains and thunderstorms that have ravaged all of Bengaluru and led to several parts of the city being waterlogged.

RCB were informed of this development late Tuesday afternoon, just prior to a scheduled optional session, their first since Thursday's pre-match session ahead of the KKR match, with rains having briefly relented. However, the forecast for Tuesday night is for more showers.

The late switch gives RCB a clearer runway to finishing in the top two, which may have otherwise been on shaky grounds had their next fixture at home too been rained out. RCB are currently placed second on the points table, just one point behind Gujarat Titans' (GT) tally of 18.

The BCCI has finalised New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad as the two venues for the four playoff games of IPL 2025, as the schedule was revised after a brief suspension earlier this month.

ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Mullanpur will host qualifier 1 on May 29 and the eliminator the next day, whereas Ahmedabad will host qualifier 2 and the final on June 1 and June 3, respectively. As per the original schedule, Hyderabad and Kolkata were slotted to host those four games at the end of this month. The change in venues was decided by the IPL Governing Council "keeping in mind the weather conditions and other parameters."

Punjab Kings (PBKS), RCB and GT have confirmed their place in the playoffs, while Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will fight it out for the fourth spot.