IPL 2024: Will rain dampen SRH's Playoffs chances?
By : Anudeep Sharma
Update: 2024-05-16 11:16 GMT
Hyderabad: Heavy rain is lashing parts of the city for almost an hour. The anticipated IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Gujarat Titans (GT) is only hours away from scheduled time and there is an imminent rain threat to the match.
A playoffs berth for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) is already confirmed, while five teams including SRH are competing for the remaining two spots.
Despite the result the chances for GT to get to the next level of the tournament are zero but a win for SRH means they secure a spot in the playoffs wiping off the slight chances of Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
With that being said, the interesting thing would be to know what happens if the match gets cancelled due to rain.
According to the rules, if the match gets cancelled both the teams will get one point each. With 15 points SRH will still qualify for the playoffs. With one more match still remaining for Hyderabad they have the chance to finish at number 2 even if the match gets cancelled. RR, which is qualified and currently placed at second position in the points table has 16 points. If they lose to KKR in their last game, Sunrisers will finish at No. 2.
However, if the match proceeds the team batting second will have an advantage according to experts. With the initial moisture after the rain, the ball grips the surface better giving assistance to the bowlers. Later on, as the pitch dries out, batters will have advantage.
Meanwhile, there is a rain threat to the CSK vs RCB match as well. The match is scheduled for May 18 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and if that match gets cancelled RCB gets eliminated.