Bengaluru woke up to a sunny morning on Saturday as the weather in the city continues to improve ahead of the high stakes match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, which will decide the final play-off spot. Though the weather department has issued an orange alert for the city with heavy showers predicted for the weekend, it hasn’t rained in the heart of the city where the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is located.
On Friday, despite forecasts of heavy rain in the evening, both the teams had extensive net sessions without any trouble. While it was gloomy throughout Friday, it was bright and sunny on Saturday morning. There is still a threat of heavy rains lashing the city in the evening with 100 per cent cloud cover expected throughout the game. However, according to the forecast, light-moderate showers are now expected in the central part of Bengaluru only between 4-8 pm, which means a delayed start looks highly likely.
In case it is a rain-curtailed game, then the toss will become all the more important as net run-rate equations will further complicate RCB’s road ahead. For the record, even in case of a full contest, RCB if they bat first have to beat CSK by a margin of 18 runs or more. And if CSK bat first and make 200, then RCB have to chase down the total in 18.1 overs. If the overs are reduced because of rain, the task only keeps getting more and more challenging for RCB.
In Saturday’s IPL game, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. But fans will also be hoping that it does not rain. (PHOTOS: PTI)
In case of heavy rain, the cut-off time for the match to begin is 10:56 pm for a five-over contest. Since the Chinnaswamy Stadium has a sub-air drainage system in place, the groundstaff only require 30-minutes after the rain completely stops to start the game.
Despite so many calculations in place, Chennai understandably were more in a comfort zone. “The weather and these kinds of things we don’t have control over. Like I said before, we plan well, we prepare well. The guys had some really good practice sessions. It’s another cricket game that they have to go out there and demonstrate their skills and their beliefs. The results will take care of itself. We don’t try to bring up things that we don’t have control over. It’s another game for us to push for a play-offs spot and we’re really looking ahead to the challenge against a very good team tomorrow,” CSK bowling coach Dwayne Bravo said.
RCB vs CSK IPL 2024:Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni being honoured by the team management after an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (PTI Photo)
For RCB, having got this far, with momentum firmly on their side on the back of five successive wins, the match on Saturday is another knockout fixture. “We’ve been playing knockout games for the last 6 games. We unfortunately lost against KKR at the start of it but somehow kept ourselves alive. So nothing changes for us. Be it 18 runs or 11 balls remaining, that thought is not running in our minds. We just want to continue whatever we’ve been doing in the last 6 games,” RCB fielding coach Malolan Rangarajan said.
With a lot of permutations involved and expected to change through the course of the game, Malolan believed it will at least help them understand what exactly needs to be done. “The good thing is that it is crystal clear what we need to do. It doesn’t matter if it is a 20-over game or a five, six-over game. For us, it might be 3.1 or 3.4 (the number of overs in which they have to chase to pip CSK on NRR if it comes to that) because there are other intricacies within that. In the last two games our captains has not won the toss. It goes to show how we have been playing. I don’t think we will be spending too much time on whether we need to bat first or bowl first. We will take that as it comes,” Malolan added.
In case the match is washed out, then CSK qualify for the play-offs.
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