In response to the growing threat of rain disruptions during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has updated its match regulations, doubling the permissible extra waiting time before a game is called off.
Effective from Tuesday, May 20, all IPL matches — including league and playoff games — will now have up to 120 minutes of extra time available in the event of weather-related delays. Previously, this extended window was reserved only for playoff fixtures, while league matches were allotted 60 minutes.
The BCCI announced the update in a formal communication to franchises, citing the need to mitigate scheduling issues caused by unseasonal monsoon rains across several host cities.
“This adjustment aims to maximise the chances of play, especially with only nine league-stage games remaining,” an official from the IPL Governing Council stated. “The extended buffer will help avoid abandonments and shortened matches.”
The rule change affects Clause 13.7.3 of the Match Playing Conditions and will apply exclusively for the remainder of the 2025 season, which is now set to conclude on June 3.
Of the remaining games, eight are scheduled as evening fixtures, with one — Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings on May 25 — set for an afternoon start. Under the new rules, evening matches that typically end by 10:50 PM IST can now start as late as 9:30 PM. Afternoon games, which are expected to finish by 6:50 PM, may begin as late as 5:30 PM.
In the event of delays, the minimum five-over contest cutoff time has also been revised: 7:56 PM IST for afternoon matches and 11:56 PM IST for evening games, including the required 10-minute innings break.
Rain has already impacted several matches this season. Three games — PBKS vs KKR in Kolkata, SRH vs DC in Hyderabad, and RCB vs KKR in Bengaluru — were abandoned without a ball bowled. Additionally, two other contests, including Punjab’s win over RCB and Gujarat’s victory against Mumbai, were shortened due to rain interruptions.
In another weather-related move, RCB’s final home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 23 has been shifted from Bengaluru to Lucknow, following a yellow alert issued by the local meteorological department warning of continued heavy rainfall in the region through Thursday.