Rain forced the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) final with the decider between Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans to now be held on Monday.
No toss or play was possible on Sunday in Ahmedabad as a deluge washed out the T20 league showpiece, necessitating a move to Monday, which had been designated as the reserve day for the match
Though the forecast is good, if the match is again washed out, Gujarat will be crowned as champions for a second year in succession after topping the IPL table during the league phase of the season.
That is despite the Titans losing to the Super Kings, who finished second in the standings, last week in Qualifier 1, the opening match of the play-offs.
That meant the Titans had to survive an encounter with the Mumbai Indians to set up another clash against MS Dhoni’s Super Kings.
Gujarat, led by India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, beat the Rajasthan Royals in last year’s final to triumph in their first IPL season.
Emerging star Shubman Gill scored his third century in four innings to take the Titans past Mumbai on Friday, with the opener taking his league-leading season runs to tally to 851.
The defending champions can also call upon the three leading wicket-takers this year in Mohammad Shami, Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma.
Chennai, meanwhile, are captained by Dhoni, who has hinted he may yet continue his domestic career after suggestions the wicket-keeper could bow out of the game at the conclusion of this season.
Though no rain is forecast, as per the playing conditions, the match has to start by 9.35pm (5.05pm BST) local time on Monday for a full 20-overs-a-side to be played. The cut-off time for a five-over shootout is 12.06am (7.36pm BST). If the conditions don’t allow even a curtailed game, the teams will play a Super Over to determine the winner.
