Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India] - The Royal Challengers Bengaluru's ambition to secure 16 points at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium may be jeopardized by the looming threat of rain during their match against the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

In the last couple of days, Bengaluru has been subjected to continuous rainfall, and forecasts from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) suggest that this pattern may persist on match day, predicting "Rain or thundershowers would occur towards afternoon or evening."

As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the rain disrupted both teams' training sessions leading up to the match. Chennai commenced their practice at 3 PM but could only manage 45 minutes on the field before rain forced them to retreat. They resumed training at 4:30 PM.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru arrived for their practice around 5 PM, where Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal managed to bat for approximately 45 minutes before rain halted their session.

This time, the rain persisted for three hours, resulting in the cancellation of RCB's practice. The evening was marked by thunderstorms and sporadic lightning, causing waterlogging in various areas of the city.

Chennai, the five-time champions, have already been eliminated from playoff contention, having secured only two victories out of ten matches, placing them at the bottom of the standings.

For RCB, this match represents a crucial chance to ascend to the top of the table with 16 points. Currently, they hold the third position with seven wins and three losses.

Last month, Bengaluru hosted a match between RCB and Punjab Kings that was curtailed to 14 overs per side due to relentless rain.

This encounter marks the first time Chennai will face RCB in Bengaluru since their thrilling match in 2024, where RCB triumphed by 27 runs, allowing them to sneak into the playoffs.

In the current season, RCB achieved their first victory at Chepauk since 2008, defeating the Super Kings by a commanding 50 runs.