Pratiksha Ghosh
New Delhi, May 21 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have raised concerns over the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) mid-season decision to extend the extra time for rain-affected matches, suggesting it may have cost them a shot at the playoffs.
The IPL Governing Council recently extended the rain buffer for the last nine league games to 120 minutes.
KKR, however, argue that the decision came too late to help them. Their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 17 was abandoned due to rain, dashing their playoff hopes.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore expressed his frustration in an email to the league. He stated “The forecast clearly showed rain was likely in Bengaluru. Had the extended buffer been in place, there may have been time for a five-over game”.
Mysore called the decision “ad hoc” and inconsistent, stressing that a tournament of IPL’s stature needs to ensure fairness across all teams. “The timing of this rule change leaves us feeling rightly aggrieved,” he further added.
