Chennai: The grand finale of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has been heavily affected by rain, disrupting the plans of Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, who eagerly await their turn to take the field.
Heavy rainfall has delayed the toss on Sunday. The rain had stopped around 8:55 pm and players began to warm up in anticipation of the start of the match, considering the cut-off time was 9:35 pm.
Before that could materialise, the rain came back with even greater intensity. The covers were put on again. The match officials felt that the game would not be able to take place. 00:06 IST (Monday, May 29) was the cut off time and the contest was called off at 22:54 IST and moved into a reserve day.
As the reserve day approaches, the pressing question remains: What if it continues to rain on Monday and what will happen if the final gets washed out?
Cut-offs for a rain delay on Reserve Day-
In case of a rain delay, the rules for the cut-off time on Reserve Day remain the same as it was for Sunday.
The match will start losing overs from 9:35 pm. From that time onwards, the match will keep getting shorter with the cut-off time for a five-over match being 12:06 am (Tuesday).
If there is additional rain, there will be an opportunity to resolve the outcome with a Super Over. To ensure readiness for this scenario, the outfield and pitch must be prepared no later than 1:20 AM IST.
What happens if no play is possible on Reserve Day as well?
In case the entire match is washed off, the team that finished highest in the league table after the 70 matches of the regular season shall be declared the winner of the relevant playoff match or final.
That means, if the reserved day got washed out then the defending champions Gujarat Titans will retain the IPL title by virtue of topping the league table.
Weather prediction for Monday-
There is a prediction of a thunderstorm around 5 PM IST, expected to last about an hour. But there is no rain forecasted during the match hours, the prospects of a full 20-over match are entirely possible.
This indicates that both fans and players can look forward to an uninterrupted and exciting showdown.
