IPL: Rain interrupts RCB, KKR match

Sudden downpour briefly interrupted the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here on Sunday.

"The umpires stopped play at 5:07 p.m. as the drizzle turned into heavy rain suddenly and the groundsmen pulled the covers to protect the pitch from getting wet," a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official told IANS.

Put in to bat, the hosts (RCB) were 100 for 3 wickets after 14.1 overs.

The 20-over match resumed at 5:45 p.m. when rain halted after 38 minutes of play was lost, without reducing the overs.

Even before the match began at the scheduled time (4:00 p.m.), a hot sunny day turned cloudy and rain gods gathered to pour an hour later when the home team's other opener Mandeep Singh was batting with 48 from 38 balls and middle order batter Travis Head was at 35 in 29 balls.

The duo had put on an unbeaten 66-run partnership after KKR's pacer Umesh Yadav removed opener Chris Gayle on the very first ball of the innings for a duck and got RCB's skipper Virat Kohli leg before wicket in the third over for 5. Spinner Sunil Narine bowled AB de Villiers for 10 runs in the fifth over.

Though the encounter is RCB's last league tie on their home turf and they are playing to salvage their pride while being at the bottom of the table -- with only five points from 12 games, about 30,000 frenzied fans packed the stands to watch an exciting match.

On the other hand, KKR are desperate to win the game to cement their place in the playoffs next week despite being at third place in the table with 14 points from seven wins out of 11 games and four defeats, including two back-to-back losses from Rising Pune Supergiant and Sunrisers Hyderabad on their home turf in Kolkata.

--IANS

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