IPL 2023: The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League got under way on Friday. It was the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans who played the first game of the season at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Gujarat Titans registered a 5-wicket win to kick off their title defense. The ongoing season will see a total of 74 games take place over a period of just over two months. 12 venues across India will host the games in total.
The final will take place on May 28. Just like the last season, the final might be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium. This season will be more special as all IPL teams will play some of their games on their home ground. Notably, this is the first time since 2020 that teams will play games in front of their home crowd. However, the biggest concerns for the organizers and the broadcasters can be the weather conditions in some places in India, which no one can control.
IPL 2023: What will happen if there will be no game due to rain?
Although the IPL 2023 is scheduled for the summer season, there is still a threat of rain in some parts of India. Earlier, there used to be a little shower in the summer, but the weather this year has been unpredictable so far. Notably, the tournament’s opener on Friday was expected to be interrupted due to rain. But it didn’t happen, and fans saw the complete game. But that might not stay the same in other venues.
As per the weather forecast, a thunderstorm is predicted in some parts of India, like Lucknow, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Mohali. These cities are the hosts of IPL games. That means we might see a number of games played as spoilers, or some may be washed out. As per the rule, a T20 game should be completed within a time of 3 hours and 20 minutes, which also includes the inning breaks.
But in cases of rain, an extra hour can be used to get the result. In a double header, the maximum cutoff time for the day match is 7:50 p.m. Meanwhile for the evening game, it is 11:50 p.m. But with the extra time, to get the result of the game, there will also be overs deductions. A minimum of five overs per side is required to get a result. This will require both teams to play five overs.
But if the weather gets better and there are further delays, then overs will get reduced. Then the Duckworth Lewis System (D/L) will be applicable. However, if play is not possible despite adding the extra time, the game will end with no result, and both teams will share a point each.
What is the rule if Rain washes out playoff games?
The IPL rules confirm that if the play can’t happen within the time limit despite the extra over, then the result will be decided with a super over. So if there is no play due to rain, not even a 5-over game, then if there is a possibility, both teams will play a super over for the result. It will be done only if the weather is permissible.
But if the super over is also not possible. Then the winner will be decided on the basis of the league’s standing. Let’s suppose Team 1 and Team 2 ended the group table at first and second. Then, they meet in the playoff games. And if it completely washes out, so Team 1 with more wins qualifies for the next round by default. This will be the same rule for the finals as well.