With the IPL 2025 coming to a close and the race for a postseason berth still in play, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, casting doubt on Wednesday night’s match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Wankhede Stadium.
Parth Jindal, a co-owner of Delhi Capitals, has written to the BCCI to urge a venue change in anticipation of a possible washout so that the game can go without weather-related delays.
Notably, both teams need to win the MI vs. DC match because it could result in a virtual knockout. With 14 points, MI is now in fourth place, and Delhi Capitals is directly behind in fifth place with 13 points. MI will guarantee a postseason berth if they win.
Both teams’ final league games, which are against Punjab Kings (PBKS), will be the deciding factor if DC wins because neither team has qualified yet. However, MI moves up to 15 and DC to 14, keeping the postseason race alive, if the game is rained out and the points are split. In the meantime, Jindal brought up the weather issues that might have a significant impact on the match in his communication to the BCCI.
“The forecast in Mumbai is for heavy rains and there is a strong likelihood that the game will be washed out,” he stated. “Just as the game between RCB vs SRH has been moved out of Bengaluru in the quest for consistency and in the interest of the league it is my request that tomorrow’s game also be moved to a different location as we have known for the better part of 6 days that the forecast for 21st in Mumbai is for heavy showers,” he wrote in an email that ESPNcricinfo.com quoted
The RCB-SRH match was rescheduled from Bengaluru to Lucknow due to weather concerns.
For the next four days, Mumbai is expected to see thunderstorms, lightning, and significant rainfall, according to the IMD’s yellow notice. Practice sessions at the Wankhede were also stopped on Tuesday night. Although MI was able to complete their drills, Delhi Capitals net session was cut short in the middle because of unexpected downpours. Because of its sand-based structure and lack of covers, the Wankhede Stadium is notorious for having a soggy outfield after even short storms, even with its excellent drainage system.
The DLS technique was ultimately used to decide MI’s previous game against the Gujarat Titans at the same location, which also saw numerous stoppages. Due to similar weather concerns in Bengaluru, Jindal has requested that the game be moved, similar to the RCB vs. SRH match, since further rain is predicted. On the other hand, the board has not formally announced the venue change.