Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) fortunes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) depend heavily on the rain gods as there are chances that their fixture against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday might be washed out.
RCB are set to host GT in their final league stage match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and it is almost a must-win for them to progress into the playoffs.
Good news!
The rain has stopped but the outfield remains wet.
However, according to the weather men, there are very high chances of rain playing spoilsport later in the match.
"A complete washout of the game looks likely too. Moderate to heavy thundershowers very likely over the city tomorrow evening to late night hours. If there's any luck, we might get a very short match. Duckworth Lewis method will surely come into play," a weather report stated.
Chances are very high for a huge interruption of the #RCBvGT match tomorrow at Chinnaswamy stadium, #Bengaluru due to rains
— Karnataka Weather (@Bnglrweatherman) May 20, 2023
A complete washout of the game looks likely too
Moderate to heavy thundershowers very likely over the city tomorrow evening to late night hours
If… https://t.co/VrCbu1KjoV pic.twitter.com/Gr4E1Brjw5
What are the minimum overs needed for a result in an IPL match?
If there is a curtailed match, then D/L method will come into play which will decide the winners.
In a rain-affected match, the team batting second must face a minimum of five overs for a result to be possible. When the innings of the team batting second is reduced to the extent that it cannot last for the same number of overs as the team that batted first, DLS comes into play.
During the group stage, 60 minutes are allocated after the scheduled end of the match if rain affects play.
What happens to RCB's playoff chances if rain stops play?
If rain forces the game to be abandoned then each team takes a point each.
Things become complicated for RCB, in this case. They are currently at 14 points with an NRR of +0.180.
Mumbai Indians are the other team who is competing for the last playoff spot available and if they win against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier on Sunday then RCB will crash out.
However, if MI lose the match then RCB will qualify even if the match is washed out.
MORE: Make your IPL 2023 predictions and win prizes in Premier League Mania
IPL 2023 points table and standings
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | PTS | W | L | NR | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Gujarat Titans (Q) | 13 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0.835 |
| 2 | B | Chennai Super Kings (Q) | 14 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0.652 |
| 3 | A | Lucknow Super Giants (Q) | 14 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0.284 |
| 4 | B | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 13 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0.180 |
| 5 | A | Rajasthan Royals | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.148 |
| 6 | B | Mumbai Indians | 13 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 0 | -0.128 |
| 7 | A | Kolkata Knight Riders (E) | 14 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 0 | -0.239 |
| 8 | A | Punjab Kings (E) | 14 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 0 | -0.304 |
| 9 | A | Delhi Capitals (E) | 14 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 0 | -0.808 |
| 10 | B | Sunrisers Hyderabad (E) | 13 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 0 | -0.558 |
