Ahmedabad: As Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers get ready to clash on the pitch of Narendra Modi Stadium in the city, cricket fans may need to brace themselves for weather interruptions. According to the latest weather forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rain which is very likely to lash the city might dampen the hopes of fans.

As per the IMD’s latest bulletin, light to moderate rain/thundershowers are very likely at a few places in the districts of the North Gujarat region—namely Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, and Mahisagar; at a few places in all the districts of the South Gujarat region—namely Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, and Tapi—and in Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli; and at isolated places in the districts of Saurashtra—namely Surendranagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Botad—and in Diu.

What does the forecast mean?

This means there is a 50% to 75% chance of scattered rainfall in the city, which could be enough to hamper the most loved game in the country at the largest cricket stadium in India.

It is noteworthy that on Sunday, the second qualifier match of the IPL also faced a delay due to rain. If today’s prediction turns out to be correct, we might see a repeat of 2023, when heavy rains caused the IPL final to be postponed.

Stadium’s high-tech drainage system will be a savior

Should rain disrupt the match this evening, organizers have allowed a two-hour delay window to possibly start the game later.

Furthermore, the cricket ground’s sub-soil drainage system enables water to be drained off within 30 minutes after the rain stops, helping to avoid cancellations due to wet ground.

This advanced system can manage rainfall up to 75mm—three times the capacity of typical drainage setups—and works around 36 times faster than traditional drainage methods. Consequently, once the rain ceases, the ground staff requires only about 30 minutes to prepare the field for play.

This drainage system was recently put to the test and proved effective during the qualifier match two days ago.

What if it rains during the IPL 2025 final?

If the rain does not stop and the drainage system cannot be used (as it can only be used once the rain stops), and the two-hour delay window passes, the match will be rescheduled to be played on the reserve day, which is June 4.

What happens if it rains on the reserve day as well?

In the scenario that rain prevents play on both days, the team with the higher ranking in the league stage will be declared the IPL 2025 champions. DeshGujarat