After a hard-fought league stage, where 10 teams clashed against each other across two months for the payoffs battle, the league has now reached its concluding stage. In the first qualifier, Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to become the first finalist of the tournament.

Gujarat, however, will have to wait for two more matches to know their opponents. On May 25, Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore will be up against each other in the eliminator. The winner of this contest will take on Rajasthan Royals for a spot in the final.

But the weather forecast doesn’t paint a good picture for the fans, as rain and a scattered thunderstorm are predicted throughout the day in Kolkata. The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has indicated a rainfall accompanied by gusty winds in the eastern part of the country. 

The IPL has released a set of guidelines for any interruption in playoffs due to inclement weather. While the reserve day is available only for the final, an extra time of two hours has been allocated to the playoffs. 

If necessary, the playoffs game can be reduced to even five-overs-per-side. If even ten overs of the game is not possible there is a provision for Super Over. If the weather doesn’t allow a single ball to be bowled, the team that finished higher in the group stage will be declared as the winner. 

Understandably, the fans are not happy with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly’s decision to organise the playoffs match in Kolkata, which usually goes through a wet spell during this time of the year. 

As many as 70 league matches, held across four venues in Maharasthra, proceeded without any interruptions caused by rain. And that’s what makes it hard to comprehend the decision to shift the final stages of the game to other cities. 

“Sourav Ganguly has always been my favourite cricketer and captain but has been absolutely shameful and incompetent as an Administrator. Shifting IPL to Kolkata was one of the worse decisions,” wrote one fan.

Here’s How fans reacted:

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/BCCI