Ahmedabad, May 31 (IANS) The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is coming to an end as the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will clash with 2022 winners Gujarat Titans (GT) in the summit clash here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
With the stakes so high for a blockbuster clash, the fans would want an uninterrupted contest between the two most brilliant sides of the season. However, the question arises: what will happen if rain interrupts or washes out the final between RCB and GT?
Fortunately, unlike other knockout matches, the IPL Final has a reserve day available. If the match cannot be completed on Day 1 due to rain or other interruption, then the play will be resumed the next day from where it left off on Sunday.
It is very unlikely that the match cannot be completed on the reserve day also, but if it happens, then it will be a winning situation for RCB as they will be crowned IPL champions for the second time by virtue of their top spot in the league stage standings.
The Rajat Patidar-led side finished the league stage in first place with 18 points from 14 matches (NRR of +0.783), whereas Shubman Gill and Co. finished in second place with the same number of points, and only the Net Run Rate separating the two teams. Gujarat Titans finished with an NRR of +0.695.
According to Accuweather, the weather forecast in Ahmedabad looks favourable, with little indication that rain will significantly disrupt the match. There is a 2 per cent chance of precipitation on Sunday evening, while it is expected to be sunny for most of the day as well.
Ironically, according to ESPNCricinfo, Rain and thunderstorms delayed GT’s arrival back home following their win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 on Friday. The squad landed in Ahmedabad close to 11pm on Saturday night after inclement weather in north-western India led to the temporary closure of runways in Chandigarh, which the team was flying out of, delaying or diverting several flights.
RCB are aiming to become only the third franchise in IPL history to successfully defend the title, while the Gujarat Titans are chasing their second championship.
–IANS
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