Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 58th Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Both teams share a point each. RCB have bolstered their chances of qualifying for the playoffs courtesy of tonight’s no result and have moved to the top of the table. If either DC or PBKS lose tomorrow, RCB will officially qualify for the playoffs. Tonight’s no result spells doom for the defending champions, KKR, who now stand eliminated from the race to the playoffs. They were inconsistent throughout the season and couldn’t string together a good run. Not the restart to the tournament that we expected after the small break but that's how it is. Tomorrow, a double-header is coming up so brace yourselves up for the thrilling ride guys. That’s it from our side for tonight. Until next time, goodbye and cheers!

10.23pm local: The incessant rain has had the final say. The match has been called off without toss. We all were in anticipation of some high-octane action tonight after this season’s IPL restarted after a 10-day break but the rain has played spoilsport. Got to feel for the fans who had turned up in white jerseys to pay tribute to Virat after he announced his Test retirement a few days ago.

10.20pm local: A couple of officials have walked out for a check. Seems like the intensity of rain has lessened a bit but the officials have their umbrellas up which is not good news. The toss needs to happen by 10.40pm if a match has to be constituted.

9.55pm local: The cut-off time for a 5-over match is 10.56pm. Around an hour more to go, we are quickly running out of time as the drizzle continues...

If the points are split today:
>> KKR will be eliminated
>> Assuming no more washouts, the only way RCB can lose out on a playoffs spot with 17 points is if GT and MI finish with 18 (or more, in GT’s case), and there’s a three-way tie featuring them, PBKS and DC, bringing it down to NRR. This can happen if PBKS and DC win tomorrow, DC beat PBKS and MI win both their games. As things stand, RCB have the best NRR among the three teams but the difference isn’t huge as such.
>> RCB will be through if PBKS or DC lose tomorrow.

9.40pm local: Well, nothing new to report about as the rain continues to come down.

As we wait for the rain to stop, you can read the article penned down by our colleague, Shashikant Singh. He has zeroed in on where each team stands in terms of their chances of qualification for the IPL 2025 playoffs.

Our correspondent, Prakash Govindasreenivasan, reports from the venue: Could be ominous signs that the spidercam has been fully covered up again. They'd briefly taken the covers off it when it looked like the rain would relent. The drizzle is steady at the moment.

9.10pm local: It's still raining, folks! The waiting game continues as we keep losing overs...

8.35pm local: Uh oh, the rain is picking up again...

8.30pm local: Rain has almost stopped and the groundstaff have started their clean-up operations. Actually, the drizzle hasn't gone away completely, but has just come down to a level where the groundstaff can begin their work.

8.15pm local: The rain has reduced to a very slight drizzle and the crowd have found their voice with chants of RCB.. RCB.

Meanwhile, as the curtains have come down on Virat's Test career, you can go through this insightful piece penned down by Kaushik Rangarajan and Bharat Sundaresan on Virat's journey as a Test cricketer...

7.35pm local: It's raining harder now. But we still have some time before we start losing overs, which will happen from 8.45pm. Cut-off time for a five-over match is 10.56pm.

7.30pm local: It's still raining but there are cheers across the ground as Virat Kohli's Test numbers come up on the giant screen. A lot of fans have turned up in white jerseys to pay tribute after he announced his Test retirement a few days ago.

7pm local: Still raining and the toss has been delayed...

6.45pm local: The drainage, as we all know, is superb at the Chinnaswamy and it shouldn't take long to get going once the rain stops. The intensity of the rain seems to have reduced but it's still coming down steadily.

Pitch report | Ian Bishop and Aaron Finch: 68 meters on one side, 62 on the other and 74 meters down the ground. Early in the tournament, fast bowlers were having a field day here. But this pitch looks like a batting paradise. Very very little moisture. It looks dry in general but it is sealed and beautiful. Expect runs to flow. (The pitch report was done before it started raining and the covers came on).

Salt: Feeling good, haven't played since a while. Pretty excited to be back. It (power-hitting) is not the thing, I try first during my practice sessions. More than anything else, it's the basics of batting. I am making sure I am aligned and hitting the ball where it comes from. Definitely one of those things I do regularly, in every training session. Just try to stay on top of it. The enjoyment's in everything it takes to get there. I always think back to moments like these (when I do well in the training session). I always think about the basics I have put in before I go into a game. It's all about discipline. There's a sea of people here at the Chinnaswamy, you see it when you come through, we got unbelievable home support here. Every game we have that must-win mentality. It's pretty infectious what comes from the fan base. It's a case of winning three more in the group stages and see where we end up from there. We have not spoken much about it (Virat Kohli's Test retirement), Virat isn't someone to speak about it (at this moment.) It's all about the playoffs and group stages, that's the focus.

Andre Russell: It’s a very good feeling to be a part of this amazing tournament and quick turnaround for us after a week or so, we are here, excited to play some games. (On the break before the restart) It breaks our momentum but we are professionals and we are used to travelling from one country to another and we are used to play the next day so mentally I know how to switch on and to switch off for the last couple of days, it helps us mentally and it helps me as an individual to reflect and take a break. But, the moment I came to practice two days ago and start hitting and making sure the body is up and running again, it has to do with a strong mindset. It’s easy when you have the mindset, you might be coming off two losses, we are made for this, we look towards the future and think about the next game coming up. We have the mindset to be on the par when the team needs us, we as a team are up for the challenge. A few games before the break, I find my mojo and I have been getting opportunities to bat a bit earlier and once I bat earlier, with the batters behind coming me, I know I can be dangerous. Yesterday in practice, I hit the ball very well, I hit two out of the park. There might be some rain around but we are prepared to play our best cricket, we definitely need these two points tonight and hopefully, we will come out with a win tonight.