In the next few hours, Gujarat and Rajasthan are set to face off at the Eden Gardens Stadium for Qualifier 1 in Kolkata. The winners of the game will head straight into the final, to be played in Ahmedabad on May 29. On the other hand, the loser will get a second chance to qualify for the title clash in Qualifier 2. However, the game is threatened to be washed out due to persistent rains.
In the last few days, the city is experiencing heavy rains and thunderstorms. In fact, this has led to the press box of the venue being damaged. The glasses of the press box got shattered due to the bad weather. Recently, the weather did become calm but a few hours leading into the game, the rains have returned and it is unknown whether it will stop at the time of the game.
Kolkata rn ??#RoyalsFamily | #GTvRR pic.twitter.com/qCOEomnxLL
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 24, 2022
It is important to have a look at the playing conditions of the tournament. According to guidelines set by the BCCI, a playoff game can start without the overs being reduced by 9:40 PM at maximum. Overs will be reduced if the game doesn’t start by this time. If the condition reaches a point where only five-overs a side game can be played, the game needs to start by 11:56 PM.
In the five-over game, teams won’t get the strategic timeouts, which are given to each team, in both innings. If the five-over game can’t be played as well, the teams will be playing a Super Over, which is generally played in case of a tie game. However, if this doesn’t happen, the winners will be decided on the basis of their standings in the points table after the league stage.
In this case, Gujarat will advance to the final as they finished number one. On the other hand, Rajasthan will play the winners of Eliminator in the Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad. Thus, the teams and their fans must be hoping for the rain gods to show some mercy during the game at least.
