Two days away from will-they-won’t-they India versus Pakistan As per the competition, the weather in Colombo is largely clear. But Sri Lanka’s meteorological department has warned of a low pressure system developing over the Bay of Bengal, indicating a high risk of rain that could disrupt the crucial World Cup game on Sunday evening.
The weather forecast for Sunday in the Khetarama area of Colombo, where the R Premadasa Stadium is located, shows hot and humid conditions to start the day, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees to 31 degrees Celsius. However, there is a 50-70% chance of isolated thunderstorms throughout the afternoon.
The game is scheduled to start at 7pm local time, with some models suggesting that there will be heavy thunderstorms a few hours before the scheduled start, which may delay the toss, or shorten the game. While it is expected to remain cloudy, some forecasts indicate that the weather will clear after 8pm, although scattered showers are possible throughout the night.
However, Premadasa features a sophisticated drainage system and special ground staff protocols designed to handle Colombo’s tropical rains. And unlike many international venues, which only cover the pitch, Premadasa has enough cover to protect the entire playing field. This first of all prevents the outfield from absorbing water.
Workers manually push water from one lid to another until it reaches perimeter drains. This method is often faster and more effective than the use of mechanical super soupers. Under standard conditions, the ground usually becomes suitable for play within 45 to 60 minutes after heavy rain stops.
There is a possibility of some rain a day before, i.e. on Saturday, which may disrupt India’s scheduled training session on the field.
The weather in Colombo has otherwise been largely dry, making any rainfall at this time of year likely to be unseasonal. So far, no matches in Sri Lanka this T20 World Cup have been affected by inclement weather, although there have been a few close calls – such as Sri Lanka’s match against Oman, where rain was predicted but it rained hours after the end of the match.
Meanwhile, both India and Pakistan currently have four points each After playing two games. But India is ahead in Group A due to better net run rate of 3.050 compared to Pakistan’s 0.932. If the match is abandoned due to rain in Colombo, both sides will get one point each as there is no reserve day for group-stage matches.