The IPL 2023 final between the Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings was rained out on Sunday and has been postponed for Monday, the reserve day.
As the weather gods refused to relent, the sold out audience at Narendra Modi Stadium was forced to return home in an unhappy state. The ground crew worked hard to prepare the ground, but the rain kept going well into the night.
Rain has caused several key cricket finals to be postponed or disrupted in recent years. Weather in England, where multiple finals have been played in recent years, is usually unpredictable.
Let’s look at 3 recent tournament finals which were interrupted by rain.
1) Sri Lanka vs Australia, ICC World Cup 2007
Due to persistent rain, the 2007 ICC World Cup final between Sri Lanka and Australia at Barbados was shortened to a 38 over each side contest. Australia batted first and finished their 38 overs with a massive total of 281/4. Adam Gilchrist (149 runs off 104 balls) led the Australian batting effort with a superb century. Gilchrist placed a squash ball in his glove to improve his grip.
In response, Sri Lanka managed just 215/8 in 36 overs as the game was cut short owing to weather delays. The game’s tough weather conditions were underlined by extremely fuzzy images near the finish.
Australia won the match by 53 runs. Adam Gilchrist was named Man of the Match for his magnificent century.
2) India vs England, ICC Champions Trophy 2013
The ICC Champions Trophy Final between India and England was scheduled to take place in Birmingham, England. However, the unpredictable English weather caused the game to be trimmed to a 20 over contest. Batting first, India finished their 20 overs with a total of 129/7, thanks to Virat Kohli (43 runs off 34 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (33* runs off 25 balls).
England responded with a score of 124/8, falling short by five runs. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav bowled superb spells for India. Ravindra Jadeja was named Player of the Match for his outstanding all round performance.
3) India vs New Zealand, WTC Final 2021
The first five days of the inaugural World Test Championship Final were hampered by rain and poor lighting. Usage of the reserve day was necessary. The constant rain also created excellent conditions for pacers, with plenty of swing and seam movement. After losing a 32 run lead in the first innings, India’s batting unit crumbled for 170 in the second innings in an attempt to play aggressively and force a result.
The sun came out on the sixth day in Southampton, and New Zealand easily chased down the 140-run goal in the fourth innings in considerably better batting conditions. Kyle Jamieson won Man of the Match award and New Zealand became the first team to win the World Test Championship.
