GT vs RR IPL 2022 Qualifier 1: Will rain play spoilsport in crucial match before final?

The business end of IPL 2022 season is finally here as Gujarat Titans (GT) gear up to take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday. While the occasion will be a special one for both GT and RR, there could be a potential spoilsport in the form of rain. 

Sanju Samson led Rajasthan Royals qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, while Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans have made it to the playoffs in their maiden IPL campaign. 

The rain gods haven't been kind to the city of Kolkata in the past two days, where rain and thunderstorms have been happening often, and on the matchday as well, there is a huge probability of rain. 

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Rain likely to play spoilsport in GT vs RR

According to reports on weather.com, the temperature of Kolkata city on May 24 (Tuesday) will be about 35° Celcius during the day and fall to 27° Celcius at night. The sky will be hazy and witness thunderstorms in the afternoon and night. The chances of rain are 48% during the day and 56% at night. Hence, there are possible chances of rain affecting the match. 

Even though Eden Gardens is one of the venues that have a very efficient drainage system, and the Cricket Association of Bengal have reportedly covered the entire ground ahead of what promises to be an enticing clash. 

Which team will progress if the game gets washed out?

As per the guidelines of IPL, Gujarat Titans could be heading to the finale of IPL 2022 if rain ends up washing out the entire contest. 

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The rules of IPL say - 

"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."

"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."