The much-awaited finale of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) encountered an unexpected hurdle as rain played spoilsport on Sunday, May 28.
Although there was a temporary break in the rain, it returned with intensity, prompting match officials to conclude that the game could not proceed. With the cut-off time set at 00:06 IST on Monday, the decision to call off the contest was made at 22:54 IST.
Consequently, the stage is now set for the final showdown between the defending champions, GT and CSK at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday. However, the unpleasant weather in Ahmedabad has been a persistent concern in the past few days.
Even on Friday, a rain spell resulted in a delayed start to the Qualifier 2 match between GT and the Mumbai Indians.
As the IPL 2023 final now rests on the reserve day, weather forecasts indicating a possibility of rain raise the inevitable question: what happens if rain washes out the IPL 2023 final on reserve day?
The answer to this question remains uncertain, keeping fans and cricket enthusiasts on edge as they eagerly await the result of the thrilling clash that will determine the fate of the prestigious IPL trophy.
With all eyes now focused on the reserve day, cricket fans hope for a break in the clouds and a resumption of the enthralling GT vs CSK encounter. The teams, ready to battle it out for the ultimate glory, are eagerly awaiting their chance to shine on the field and seize the coveted IPL trophy.
IPL 2023 Final: Weather Prediction For Reserve Day
A thunderstorm is likely to start around 5 PM IST and continue for around an hour. However, there is no indication of rain throughout the time of the game, suggesting that a 20-over match is entirely possible.
IPL 2023 Final: What If The Reserve Day Gets Washed Out?
As the IPL 2023 final moves to the reserve day, the rules for the cut-off time remain unchanged from the originally scheduled match on Sunday.
The cut-off time is set at 9:35 PM IST, after which overs will start to be reduced. There is a possibility of a five-overs contest extending as late as 12:06 AM IST.
If the match cannot be concluded within this time frame, a Super Over will be used to determine the winner, provided that the outfield and pitch are prepared by 1:20 AM IST.
However, if unfavorable weather persists and no play is possible on the reserve day as well, the team that secured a higher position on the points table at the conclusion of the 70-match league phase will be declared the winner.
In this scenario, the Gujarat Titans, who claimed the top spot in the points table after their allotted 14 matches in the league stage, would be crowned champions ahead of the second-placed Chennai Super Kings.
