What are rain rules in case India vs South Africa final washed out?

The much-anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa is set to take place on Saturday, 29 June, at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

However, the match is expected to be affected by rain, which could lead to a reserve day being used. In this scenario, it is essential to understand the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) guidelines for rain-affected matches.

Added time and reserve day

According to the ICC guidelines, the added time for the final is set to remain the same as the semi-final, which means that a full game can happen even after a 4-hour 10-minute delay from the start time. The ICC rules state that the aim for the organizers will be to finish the game on Saturday itself, even if it is not a full 20-over game.

Minimum overs requirement

A result can only be achieved if both teams play a minimum of 10 overs each. If the rain does not allow play to happen at all, then the match will be shifted to Sunday, 30 June. The ICC guidelines state that each team must have had the opportunity to bat for a minimum of 10 overs for a result to be achieved.

In case the final between India and South Africa is interrupted midway due to rain, then the ICC has a choice of extending the match to the next day. A full game of 20 overs will happen if the match is stopped before the first ball of the second innings is bowled. However, if the first over of the match is bowled in the second innings, then the DLS rules will apply.

Reserve Day scenarios

The ICC guidelines provide two examples of how the reserve day will be used in case of a rain-affected match. In the first scenario, if the match starts at 20 overs per side and there is an interruption at 9 overs, the overs will be reduced to 17 overs per side, and play will resume on the reserve day at the original 20 overs per side with the overs reduced if necessary during the reserve day.

In the second scenario, if the match starts at 20 overs per side and there is an interruption at 9 overs, the overs will be reduced to 17 overs per side, and play will resume on the reserve day at 17 overs per side with the overs further reduced if necessary during the reserve day.

The ICC guidelines clearly mention that they want to finish the final on Saturday, even if it is going to be a rain-curtailed match, affected by the DLS rules.

However, do not be surprised if the ICC decides to shift the match to Sunday, 30 June, due to a rain delay.