Scenarios EXPLAINED: What happens if rain interrupts PBKS vs MI Qualifier 2 — who goes to the final?

The stage is set for the high-voltage clash in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be played on Sunday (June 1). Punjab will be hoping to make it to the IPL final for the first time since 2014, while Mumbai will be aiming to keep their dream alive of winning a sixth title.

The playoffs began with Qualifier 1 between PBKS and RCB, and the Eliminator match between GT and MI, both held at the Mullanpur Stadium in Mohali. The rest of the matches, Qualifier 2 and the final, were shifted to Ahmedabad.

The final was first planned to take place at Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, the home ground of last year's winners, the Kolkata Knight Riders. But due to rising military tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament had to be paused. The schedule was later changed, and the venues for the playoffs were also shifted.

MI vs PBKS: Rain Chances

The weather forecast shows only a small chance of rain, with Weather.com saying there's a 24% possibility. But if rain does stop the match from happening, the team that ranked higher in the points table will go through. In this case, it would be Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings, who finished at the top of the table with 19 points and a better net run-rate than their closest competitors, Royal Challengers Bangalore.

If rain interrupts the game, the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council have set aside an extra hour so the teams get more time to finish the match.

No Reserve Day For Qualifier 2

Unlike the final, which has a provision for a reserve day, no such situation has been outlined for Qualifier 2. This means that if adverse weather leads to a complete washout, PBKS will secure a place in the IPL 2025 final as they have a better NRR than MI. 

Ahmedabad weather

Extra Time Provisions in IPL Playing Conditions

To avoid such a scenario and ensure the match is completed, the BCCI has incorporated extra time provisions into the playing conditions. According to Clause 13.7.3 of the IPL Playing Conditions:

• An additional 120 minutes is available in the event of a delayed start or interruption.
• The extra time will be used before reducing any innings.
• Time allocated for strategic time-outs and innings changeover can be reduced if necessary to maximize playing time.
• For Super Over scenarios, the 10-minute changeover is excluded from the extra time calculations.
  

Squads for PBKS vs MI, Qualifier 2

PBKS squad for Qualifier 2

Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash, Yuzvendra Chahal

MI squad for Qualifier 2

Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson, Robin Minz, Raghu Sharma, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Charith Asalanka, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

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