Ahmedabad: The much-anticipated final match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) had to be rescheduled to today (the reserved day) due to a hailstorm and thundershower that struck the city on Sunday evening.

However, the weather bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) once again raises concerns about the Tata IPL final match. The bulletin states that “Rain/ thundershowers towards evening/ night very likely,” in Ahmedabad on May 29th.

UPDATE: Light rain, accompanied by light thunderstorms, with a maximum surface wind speed of less than 40 kmph (in gusts), is very likely at isolated places in the districts of Gujarat state, namely Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Patan, Mahesana, Sabar Kantha, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, Botad, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Kutch, during the next 3 hours: Nowcast issued at 4 PM today

On Sunday, just before the toss, heavy rain and hailstorm started pouring down in Ahmedabad, persisting throughout the match timings. As a result, the umpires had to make the decision to reschedule the match to the reserve day, around 11 PM. More than 75,000 people had to return home with disappointment as the match could not take place.

Rainfall at Narendra Modi stadium in Motera, Gujarat ahead of IPL 2023 final match this evening pic.twitter.com/V7Ju0QISii

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) May 28, 2023

 

What if the reserve day is also affected by rain as predicted by IMD?

The regulations for the cut-off time on the reserve day remain the same as they were on Sunday. The overs will start getting reduced from 9:35 PM IST, and there is a possibility of a five-overs contest as late as 12:06 AM IST. If needed, a Super Over can be played, provided that the outfield and the pitch are ready by 1:20 AM IST.

However, if no play is possible on the reserve day as well, the team that finished higher on the points table at the conclusion of the 70-match league phase will be declared the winner. In this scenario, Gujarat Titans, who secured the top position after their 14 matches in the league stage, will be awarded the trophy, surpassing the second-placed CSK. DeshGujarat