The Indian Premier League final between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and the runner-up Chennai Super Kings had to be moved to a reserve day for the first time on Sunday because of heavy rain and thunderstorms in Ahmedabad.
At the largest cricket stadium in the world, the rain started falling two hours and 40 minutes before the toss, and it continued for nearly two and a half hours until it finally stopped, raising optimism that the game may finally get underway.
However, a second deluge wiped out the day, which resulted in the dissatisfaction of thousands of people who had taken refuge in the covered portions of the stadium, which had a total capacity of 132,000 seats.
When the authorities decided to put off play for the day due to the sloppy condition of the field, a message was displayed on the massive screen for the spectators, asking them to “please keep your physical tickets safe!”
An Indian Premier League final will be played on a reserve day for the very first time in the tournament’s 16-year existence when it gets underway on Monday.
Even on Monday, there is just a ten percent probability that it would rain in the evening, according to the forecast provided by the western city’s meteorological service.
Fans showed up in large numbers donning the yellow jersey of the famous cricketer M. S. Dhoni because it is widely thought that the match will be M. S. Dhoni’s final one as a player for Chennai.
IPL powerhouse Mumbai Indians are captained by all-format India captain Rohit Sharma, and Chennai will be looking to catch up to them by winning a record-tying fifth trophy to go level with Mumbai.
Dhoni has guided his club to their tenth Indian Premier League final, during which they have won four trophies and finished in second place five times.
Hardik Pandya has led Gujarat to more success in their fairytale ride, which began with a championship victory in the team’s maiden season at the same location in the previous year. Gujarat is currently in first place.
Since it was first played in 2008, the Twenty20 competition has become into the most lucrative cricket game in the world and is a significant source of money for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).