The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 table-toppers Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 1 of the season at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday. Gujarat made it to the playoffs in their debut season while RR managed to reach the playoffs for the first time after 2018. However, the rain gods are not kind to cricket fans for the last two days as Kolkata is experiencing rain and thunderstorm. On Tuesday as well there are predictions of rain throughout the day and in the evening.
Kolkata recently witnessed plenty of rain, so much so that the press box at the Eden Gardens stadium was also damaged. As per AccuWeather, there are a few sessions of thunderstorms are expected, once during the day Tuesday and then in the evening. The chances of rain are around 65% which is not good news for cricket fans while the temperature will hover around the mid-30s.
Weather in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/pVVw7VOhkN
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The Eden Gardens has an amazing drainage system and the CAB has already covered the entire ground. However, all these things will not come into use if a thunderstorm strikes. The evening session of rain is where things appear alarming. Two hours of rain are expected. There is a 58 percent chance of cloud cover with a 39 percent chance of thunderstorms.
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The IPL report regarding the same suggests, “The number of overs in the playoff match may, if necessary, be reduced so that each side has the opportunity to bat for five overs. For the Eliminator and each Qualifier playoff matches, in the event that it is not possible to schedule a five-over match to complete by the end of the extra time on an original day, the teams will, if conditions permit, play a Super Over to determine the winner of the relevant Eliminator or Qualifier match.”
It further added, “If the Super Over is not possible the team that finished highest in the league table after the 70 matches of the regular season shall be declared the winner of the relevant play-off match or final.”
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In IPL 2022, Both Gujarat and Rajasthan have good proponents of fast bowling which will be aided by the conditions at Eden Gardens. While GT will have Bengal’s Mohammad Shami, Rajasthan will hope to unleash New Zealand’s Trent Boult. If the bowlers are able to make a good use of the surface, they can turn out to be very dangerous in the first playoffs game. The match between the two teams is scheduled to commence at 7:30 PM IST.
