India and South Africa are set to clash in the T20 World Cup final on Saturday, 29 June, at Kensington Oval in Barbados. However, the match is under threat from potential rain, which had already impacted the semi-final against England in Guyana.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had allocated 250 minutes of extra time for the semi-finals due to the lack of a reserve day. The same allowance applies to the final, aiming to complete the match on the scheduled day. The game is set to start at 10:30 AM local time, but rain could delay the proceedings up to 4 hours and 10 minutes.
According to ICC rules, the priority is to finish the match on the scheduled day, even if it means a reduced-overs game. “If play is interrupted on the scheduled day, the umpires shall use the available extra time and, if necessary, reduce the number of overs to try to achieve a result on that day,” the ICC guidelines state.
For a result, each team must play a minimum of 10 overs. If rain prevents any play on 29 June, the match will shift to the reserve day, Sunday, 30 June. “Each team must have had the opportunity to bat for a minimum of ten (10) overs for a result to be achieved,” the ICC rules explain.
In the event of a mid-game interruption, the match can extend to the next day, preserving the original 20 overs per side if the second innings hasn’t started. If the match resumes on the reserve day, it continues from where it left off, with possible overs reduction based on the conditions.
The ICC’s guidelines are clear: they aim to conclude the final on Saturday, even if rain necessitates a DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) adjusted game. Yet, if weather conditions are unfavourable, don’t be surprised if the final is moved to Sunday, 30 June.