Rain has delayed the toss for the IPL 2026 match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, April 10, and the start is likely to be pushed back as well. Here’s looking at the cut-off time for a five-over match in the tournament.
The weather conditions in the east of India, specifically in Guwahati and Kolkata, have affected recent proceedings in the IPL. The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings matchup in Kolkata was washed out on Monday, April 6, while the Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians game in Guwahati was reduced to 11 overs each on the next day.
For the KKR vs PBKS game, the weather cleared up close to the cut-off time and covers were removed at the Eden Gardens, but the groundsmen couldn’t get the field ready in the small period available for the game to restart, and it was called off close to 11pm IST. Guwahati saw a torrential downpour on Tuesday evening, with steady rain following, to delay the toss for the RR vs MI game, and eventually the start.
Rain had relented in Guwahati ahead of the RR vs RCB game, with players coming out for their pre-match routine. But showers returned just 20 minutes before the toss, delaying the toss and potentially the start of the game.
What do the IPL playing conditions state on the cut-off time for a five-over IPL match?
Now, as per the IPL playing conditions, “net playing time available at the start of the match (excluding time-outs)” is 170 minutes. The interval between the two innings shall be 20 minutes, and a minimum of 10 minutes for delayed or rain-truncated games. Adding the allotted five minutes each worth of time-outs across the two innings, a match’s run-time is expected to be around 190 to 200 minutes.
Therefore, with a start time of 7.30pm IST for evening matches, they are expected to conclude by 10.50pm IST. However, if the start of play is delayed or play is suspended for any reason, then extra time of up to sixty minutes shall be available for each IPL regular season match.
This means that the cut-off time for a five-over game to end, the minimum number of overs that should be bowled per innings to constitute a T20 game, after adding the allotted extra time of an hour, would be approximately between 11.40 to 11.50pm IST. The start time should thus be around 10.55pm IST.
For the playoffs and final, a 120-minute extra time is available if the start of the match is delayed, which makes the cut-off time for a five-over playoff or final at around 12.40 to 12.50am IST on the next day.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
