The unstoppable forces will meet on June.29. / X/@T20WorldCup

Rain and cricket are traditional rivals. Cricket, which continues to pride itself as an essentially outdoor game, has an ongoing battle with Lord Indra. Traditionally, rain has disrupted more games of cricket than any other sport. The T20 World Cup 2024, jointly organized by the USA and West Indies, could not escape the fury of Rain Gods.

Going by the weather forecast, Barbados will be cloudy, breezy, and humid on June.29 with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm expected in the early hours and afternoon. AccuWeather predicts a 20 to 47 percent chance of precipitation during the playing hours, with the weather cloudy. Though the sky may remain cloudy, there is no rain threat during the scheduled playing hours. Thunderstorms are anticipated only early in the morning and in the afternoon.

The forecast raises the possibility of an uninterrupted match on June.29. However, if rain does occur, it may be moved to the reserve day.

Weather experts also indicate that June.29 will be mostly cloudy, humid, and breezy in the morning. There is, however, a chance of occasional rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

They also suggest that there may be some challenges with weather interruptions later in the day, the morning hours can offer a window for uninterrupted play during the scheduled match hours.

Most T20 World Cup matches in the Caribbean and the USA have encountered rain interruptions, leading to some games being washed out entirely or shortened. The weather remains a huge concern for the T20 World Cup 2024, with a storm warning issued for the final on June.29.

Not only three of four games scheduled for Florida had to be abandoned because of thunderstorms, rain and inclement weather. Other games were impacted as the organizers probably missed taking cognizance of weather factors while deciding dates and venues of an important event like the T20 World Cup. That too when it is being organized for the first time on US soil.

The officials had the experience of the first edition of GT20 held in Brampton during the same period last year. Seven matches were scheduled for the first four days, and two were hit by rain. 

But the T20 World Cup is a much bigger and more prestigious event than the GT20 held in Brampton, a Toronto suburb projected as the future cricket capital of Canada. Summer is the only time for cricket to be played outdoors in Canada and the USA. Threats of rain-washing outplay cannot be eliminated.

Though the International Cricket Conference, in its endeavour to boost cricket in North America decided to hold the T20 World Cup jointly in the USA and the West Indies, the experiment has met with mixed success. The USA had three venues where 16 of the 55 games of the T20 World Cup were scheduled. Three of the four games in Florida were abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Some matches in the US and the West Indies were shortened due to inclement weather.

How will this final game between the first champions India and the first-time finalists South Africa go?

For the past few weeks, the Americas, especially North and Central America, have been experiencing turbulent weather with thunderstorms and rains lashing many areas. The affected areas include Florida and the Caribbean. There have been severe disruptions due to inclement weather not only affecting the T20 World Cup games but also the movement of the teams and officials.

The ICC has rules that govern the games impacted by the inclement weather. A special provision is there for the final match day, offering an extra advantage to ensure the title clash can proceed despite the weather forecast.

The rule says that if rain interrupts play or there is a delay during a match, the game can be completed using an additional 190 minutes. Further, the definition of a match as defined by ICC is important. It says that to constitute a match in the knockout stages, a minimum of 10 overs must be bowled to the side batting second unless a result is achieved earlier.

If both teams do not get a chance to play a minimum of 10 overs each, then the match will be moved to the reserve day, says the ICC Advisory subject to several conditions applied to its execution.

The rules also talk about a reserve day in case of the final. June.30 stands as a reserve day for the TT20 World Cup final.

The final match in Barbados has a reserve day in case of a washout on the scheduled match day. That means June.30 is the reserve day subject to some conditions or prerequisites. This reserve day setup is similar to the one used for the first semi-final in Trinidad.

Rules will be followed if the reserve day is used due to a washout on the scheduled match day.

In case of interruptions due to rain, an additional 190 minutes of play shall be allocated to complete the match on the scheduled day i.e. June.29. Each side must play a minimum of 10 overs to constitute a match for a valid result.

If a match even after 190 minutes of additional time cannot be completed on June 29, the game will be extended to June.30 to be taken up from where it was left incomplete on June.29. Efforts would also be made to complete the match even if the reduction in overs becomes necessary.

The rules also provide that if the game is abandoned because of weather, the ICC rules provide for a super over to decide the winners should the match end in a tie.

However, if the Super Over cannot be played and no winner is determined on the reserve day, it will be treated as a no-result match. And if weather conditions continue to hinder the completion of the Super Over, or if the match is abandoned or results in a no result, both teams - India and South Africa - will be declared joint winners and will share the trophy.