IPL Playoff 2023 Matches: What will happen if Rain Interferes?

IPL 2023 has started with a lot of excitement and thrilling run chases. All four teams for the IPL playoffs will be known just at the end of the 21st of May and the 70th match which would also be the last league stage match of the ongoing IPL 2023 season.

Sometimes due to bad weather, bad light, wet outfield, or some other reasons if a match could not be played during the IPL playoffs so, there’s always an ambiguity among the fans on what basis a winner will be chosen or proceeded towards the further stage. So for that, The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a set of rules in case any one or more knock-out matches get called off due to bad weather or any other condition the winner of the match will be decided on that particular basis.

IPL Playoffs Structure

IPL Playoffs consist of four stages which are Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and Final. Out of these except Qualifier 1 all the stages are treated as a knock-out match because the loser of Qualifier 1 gets one more chance to reach the final.

List of Rules for Weather or other conditions interfering with TATA IPL PLAYOFF Matches

1) An extra time of 120 minutes is available for each IPL playoff match.

2) An IPL playoff match can start on an original day as late as 9:40 pm without the number of overs being reduced (10-minute intervals, time-outs retained). The Final match can start on an original day as late as 10:10 pm without the number of overs being reduced (10-minute intervals, time-outs retained)

3) A reserve day is available for the final on the 29th of May 2023 at Shri Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad starting at 8:00 pm. An additional 120 minutes of extra time is available on the reserve day.

4) The number of overs in the IPL playoff match may, if necessary, be reduced so that each side has the opportunity to bat for 5 overs.

5) The latest that a five-overs per-side match can start is 11:56 pm (10-minute interval, no timeouts) – with a scheduled finish of 12:50 pm. The cut-off time for the Final will be 12:26 am for 5 overs per side game.

6) If the Final has started (at least one ball bowled) but not finished on an original day, it will be completed on the reserve day. The match will resume at the point where it stopped on the previous day. For the avoidance of doubt, any match recalculations done without the match actually restarting on the previous night will be ignored. Note that 3 hours and 20 minutes plus a further extra time of 2 hours are available for play on the reserve day.

7) Examples of the applications of paragraphs 5 and 6:

a. The Final starts and after 4 overs of the first innings, rain prevents any further play that night → the match restarts at 8:00 pm on 29th May 2023 with (if conditions allow) the first innings being completed (16 overs) and the full second innings of 20 overs.

b. If any Qualifier or the Eliminator starts on time and the first innings of 20 overs are completed but after 5.1 overs of the second innings, rain prevents any further play that night → the result is decided that night under the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method.

c. After the toss for the Final, no play is possible that night → a new 20-over per side match starts at 8:00 pm on 29th May 2023. There will be another toss and a new team can be selected.

8) For the Eliminator and each Qualifier IPL playoff match (where there is no reserve day), in the event that it is not possible to schedule a 5-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. This means that the pitch and ground must be ready for play so that the Super Over can start at the latest by 12:50 am.

9) For the Final, in the event that it is not possible to schedule a 5-over match to be completed by the end of the extra time on the reserve day, the teams will, if conditions permit, play a Super Over to determine the winner of the final. This means that the pitch and ground must be ready for play so that the Super Over can start at the latest 1:20 am (Final).

10) In the event that it is not possible to start the Super Over as described in paragraphs 8 and 9 or to then complete the Super Over without interruption, 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 playoff match or final.