Bengaluru: The anticipation for the virtual knockout clash of May 18 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League is soaring high. Among all the excitement, the danger of being washed out is looming large on the mega clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
The weather forecast has predicted the possibility of "showers and a thunderstorm" in Bengaluru for the next five days from Friday, May 17 to Tuesday, May 21. In case of a washout, both teams will be awarded a point each.
In its May 18 weather update, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that humidity levels are likely to be high and there is a 90 percent chance of rain in the evening. According to the weather department, Bengaluru can expect a partly cloudy sky with 1 or 2 spells of rain or thunderstorms from May 14 to May 17 and a partly cloudy sky with possible rain or stormy weather from May 18 to 20. The southwest monsoon is expected to move towards Andaman And Nicobar Islands and some areas over the Bay of Bengal from May 19, the weather department said.
The IPL 2024 playoff qualifying match between RCB and CSK will be a virtual knockout. After losing 7 of the first 8 games in the league, Royal Challengers Bengaluru bounced back to win all in the last 5 games. Currently, they are sitting at the 6th position with 12 points. To qualify for the playoffs, RCB will need to win their match against the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side by 18 runs or more or chase down the target within 18 overs. If the match is washed out due to rain, both teams will get one point each, and thus CSK will have 15 points in the table, which will be 2 more than RCB, and the men in yellow will automatically qualify.
The last league match between CSK and RCB could also be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's last appearance in the yellow jersey if CSK fails to qualify for the playoffs, provided that MSD does not wish to continue hitting sixes for his franchise. On the other hand, if RCB fails to qualify, it would be yet another season for the franchise to go without lifting the silverware.
Ahead of the crucial final league match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s playoff hopes took a huge hit as Will Jacks returned home to the UK, who played a huge hole in the RCB’s batting line-up. Jacks has been one of the best overseas players in IPL 2024 so far for RCB, making an impact both in the field and at the crease. The Bangalore-based franchise will miss Jacks’ presence, but CSK, who have also had to deal with player departures, is still a formidable opponent and will be able to put up a good fight even with a weakened RCB outfit in the Garden City.
