It poured down with a savage fury in Bangalore on Thursday, and long before the match had been officially called off it was obvious there was going to be no play.
Chennai Super Kings and Lahore Lions earned two points each from their abandoned Oppo Champions League T20 fixture at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the field covered in large pools of water as the teams left.
Few favours for CSK
The outcome does CSK few favours. A defeat for M.S. Dhoni’s men in their final Group A game, against Perth Scorchers on Saturday, will see them exit the tournament.
A win will see CSK finish on 10 points, but progress will still depend on Lahore’s results. In that scenario, Scorchers will be out of the competition.
Lahore has two games left, victory in both of which will see the Pakistanis advance. More showers, however, have been forecast for Saturday.
The rain had been intermittent all evening, but half an hour before the scheduled start of play, a thunderstorm rolled across the city,putting paid to any hopes of a ball being bowled. Spectators in the gallery, overwhelmingly clad in yellow, scurried back under the roof.
Colour drained away from an advertising sign on the outfield, a bright streak of blue heading for the boundary.
A few brave fans still remained in their seats, hoping — desperately — for any play. Any let up in the rain’s intensity was vociferously cheered, but they were to be disappointed.
Shortly before 9 O’ clock in the evening, the umpires walked out huddled under an umbrella, and decided even five-overs-a-side (the minimum) was impossible.
A member of the Lahore staff walked out gingerly, to pick up a few training cones tossed pell-mell by the rain.
Spectators, it was announced later, may claim a refund at the stadium before October 2.
