The start of today’s IPL 2024 match between SRH and GT has been delayed by rain – here are the latest rain updates from the SRH vs GT match and how a potential washout will affect the playoffs qualification race.
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SRH vs GT latest weather updates: Toss delayed by rain
10:13 pm local time: With rain persisting, the match has been called off and Sunrisers Hyderabad have qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs.
9:15 pm local time: Rain has not relented yet. The cut-off for a five-over game is 10:56 pm local time.
8:30 pm local time: Rain is on and so are the covers.
8:10 pm local time: Rain was back before the toss could take place and it’s still falling. Overs start getting lost at 8:30 pm local time.
The toss is expected to be at 8pm IST, and the start at 8.15pm.
7:25 pm local time: All covers are off. No rain at the moment, but no updates on toss either.
7:15 pm local time: The rain has stopped and covers are coming off. The centre cover is still there though.
Intense rain on Thursday (May 16) afternoon in and around the city of Hyderabad carried over into the evening as the toss for the SRH vs GT game was delayed.
SRH vs GT rain prediction during match hours
According to AccuWeather, a break in showers is expected at Uppal, the area where the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is situated in Hyderabad, during the original start time of the game, that is 7:30 pm local time. However, rain is expected to pick up again from around 8:10 pm local time for an hour with the intensity expected to peak close to 8:30 pm.
A constant light spell of rain is again expected from close to 10 pm local time till around 11:30 pm.
According to BBC weather, there’s a 30 per cent chance of rain around 8:30 pm, which reduces to 20 per cent from 9:30 pm onwards.
SRH vs GT: What will a washout mean to the playoffs race?
If the match is abandoned, SRH, currently on 14 points from 12 games, will qualify for the playoffs. With KKR and RR already qualified, only two teams are in a position to breach the 14-point barrier at this stage: SRH and CSK.
A washout will take SRH to 15 points, hence securing qualification. For GT, it wouldn’t affect their campaign much as they have already been eliminated from playoffs contention.
The result of this match will also have a bearing on the chances of CSK and RCB. Anything other than a SRH defeat, which includes a washout, will mean that the RCB vs CSK game on May 18 will become a virtual knockout with only one of those teams able to make it to the playoffs.
If SRH lose this game as well as the next, there will be an outside chance for both RCB and CSK to qualify. In essence, while a washout or a SRH victory today won’t directly knock either RCB or CSK out, both teams would want SRH to lose to increase their probability of qualification.
