Ahmedabad, May 26 (IANS) The toss for Qualifier 2 clash in IPL 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians will happen at 7.45 p.m. at Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, followed by the match beginning from 8 p.m.
Around 6.20 p.m., heavy rain began in Ahmedabad, with some thunder and lightning accompanying it. But by the time the toss was officially delayed to 7 p.m., the rain had stopped with two layers of covers being taken off and players arriving at the ground to warm-up.
As per playing conditions on the IPL website, a playoff match can start on the original game day as late as 9.40 p.m. without the number of overs being reduced.
Though the weather forecast for the rest of the night in Ahmedabad is clear, even if rain comes and forces a washout, a Super Over will decide the winner, which can begin as late as 12.50 a.m., as there is no reserve day.
Even if that isn’t possible, the team that has finished higher on the table will qualify for the final, which in this case is Gujarat due to the virtue of topping the table in the league stage. The latest a five overs per side match can start is 11.56 p.m. (with 10-minute interval, no timeouts) and a scheduled finish of 12.50 a.m.
The winner of Qualifier 2 between Gujarat, the defending champions and Mumbai, the five-time winners, will play against four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the final on Sunday, while the side who doesn’t win will be knocked out of the competition.
Mumbai enter Qualifier 2 match high on confidence following a thumping 81-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator match, while Gujarat have another shot at making it to the final after losing to Chennai Super Kings by 15 runs in Qualifier 1.
–IANS
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