The toss for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans has been delayed due to heavy rain at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday.
Situation looking bleak
Around 6:30 pm, after dark clouds quickly collected over the stadium, it began to rain, which has also been accompanied by thunder. According to AccuWeather, the sky will mostly be cloudy, with the cloud cover predicted to be around 70% with a forecast of rain till 9 pm and precipitation levels hovering at 64%.
Visuals showed some of the covers being blown away by strong wind and lots of puddles forming around the outfield.
Playing regulations
The final can start as late as 9.35 pm IST without any reduction in overs.
As per last year's playing regulations, 10.10 pm is the cut-off time for the full final match to take place, with a reserve day in place.
For a five-over shootout, 12.26 am is the cut-off time, followed by 1:20 am for a super-over shootout to determine the winner of the final. Earlier, the second qualifier between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians was hit by rain, though it cleared in time for a full match to happen.
Titanic battle yet to take the field
The final of IPL 2023 between Chennai and Gujarat also featured the same two teams on the opening day of the tournament, as the two-month-long league comes full circle on Sunday, with fans wearing Chennai's yellow jersey thronging the stadium in large numbers.
Chennai, led by M.S. Dhoni, are the second-most successful team in IPL history, having won the title four times in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021, and are eyeing their fifth title.
The final of IPL 2023 is also Dhoni's 250th appearance in the tournament since being a part of its inception in 2008 and will also be Ambati Rayudu's last match as an IPL player.
On the other hand, Gujarat are the defending champions and seeking to win back-to-back IPL titles, becoming the third team to do so in the history of the competition.
Interestingly, in nine out of 12 finals since 2011 saw the playoffs system coming into effect, the team which has emerged victorious in Qualifier 1 has won the final too.
