The Royal Challengers Bangalore v Gujarat Titans match – the final league game of IPL 2023 – is under a major rain threat: here are live updates from the venue for the RCB vs GT clash.

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RCB vs GT: Latest weather update – Rain, thunderstorm hits Bengaluru

7.40pm local time: The rain has subsided and the covers are off. Toss at 7.45pm, match to begin at 8pm.

6.55pm local time: At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, there’s very little drizzle. The main area is covered, as groundsmen assess the area and try to remove the extra water. Toss has been delayed.

5.15pm local time: The drizzling continues. It’s dark and gloomy, and the pouring hasn’t stopped, even though it has reduced in intensity from the thunderstorms from an hour and a half ago.

4.30pm local time: Rain has eased up a bit around the stadium, but drizzling continues. The skies continue to be dark and cloudy.

3.40pm Iocal time: There’s heavy rainfall at and around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with a violent thunderstorm currently lashing across the city’s heart. It eventually turned into a hailstorm close to 3.30pm, four hours ahead of the match.

The morning was much more peaceful, with clouds building up around the area, with a tinge of grey, all indicative of a possible evening shower. Yesterday, the team’s practice sessions were also affected by the constant rain.

The weather forecast for the match indicates rain from the 4pm to 7pm bracket. There’s likely to be precipitation during match hours as well. One can expect it to be a stop-start match, possibly truncated too.

The advantage at Bengaluru is Chinnaswamy Stadium’s SubAir system, which can turn the ground match-ready even 15-20 minutes after a downpour. Vacuum-powered, the system can drain out up to 10,000 litres of water per minute.

RCB vs GT: Weather update – What happens if the match gets washed out?

The RCB vs GT game is crucial to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs. RCB are currently fourth on the points table but tied with Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals on points.

If RCB-GT gets washed out & MI win

If Mumbai Indians win their final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the RCB-GT match is washed out, MI will go through (16 points). RCB and GT will only share a point each, taking RCB’s tally to 15.

If RCB-GT gets washed out & MI lose

A washout will benefit RCB if MI lose their final match against SRH. The shared point will take them to 15 and confirm their playoff spot, as they will be above MI and RR on the points table.

If RCB-GT goes ahead & MI win

A win for Mumbai Indians will take them over RCB on the points table, making it a must-win game for the Bengaluru franchise. The advantage for them is a superior net run-rate to Mumbai (ahead of the two games). Unless MI manage to win (really) big against SRH, RCB are likely to maintain the benefit when they play. They’ll need to secure a win to pip MI for the final spot, since both will have the same points.

If RCB-GT goes ahead & MI lose

If MI lose, they’ll end up at 14 points. A win will certainly take RCB through, but even a loss could possibly carry them into the playoffs, if their run-rate remains above Mumbai Indians.

Rajasthan Royals – currently on 14 points and fifth on the points table – are also in contention, but they have already played their 14 league matches. The only way RR can progress through is if MI and RCB both lose their last two matches, and their net run-rate falls below RR. They already have a higher NRR than MI.

Note: The top-most image is a file photo of the Chinnaswamy Stadium from 2019. 

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Gujarat TitansIndiaRoyal Challengers Bangalore Global T20 LeaguesSeries Editorial