 "Rain could play spoilsport during the India vs Australia 1st T20 match at Canberra on Wednesday. Image: BCCI")
The first T20I between India and Australia at the Manuka Oval, Canberra, on Wednesday (29 October) could be impacted by rain, with a washout also being a possibility in the worst case. Having lost the ODI series 2-1, India would want to make a strong start to the five-match T20I series, but everything would depend on the weather in Canberra.
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At the time of publishing this report (2 PM local time), it was raining in Canberra with the temperature being around 14 degrees Celsius. More rain is expected in the day, with the first India-Australia T20I scheduled for a 7.15 pm start (1.45 pm in India).
Canberra weather forecast for IND vs AUS T20
Overall, there’s a 60% probability of precipitation in Canberra as per the AccuWeather on Wednesday (29 October). The best news, however, is that the highest chances of rain are around late morning and afternoon.
The probability of precipitation drops to 20% by 6 pm local time and 16% by 7 pm local time. It stands at 7% from 8 pm to 12 am. With the match starting at 7.15 pm local, the toss could get delayed due to rain, or the match may lose a few overs.
A washout doesn’t look like a possibility unless the weather forecast goes awry and heavy rainfall takes place in late Canberra.
Suryakumar Yadav in focus as Jasprit Bumrah returns
Meanwhile, as far as the Indian team is concerned, the focus would be on captain Suryakumar Yadav, who has not been among the runs this year. The 35-year-old batter from Mumbai has only scored 100 runs in 11 innings of 2025 at a strike rate of just over 105. Probably the decision to push Tilak Varma to No 3 spot has not worked well for SKY.
All eyes will also be on Sanju Samson, who has lost his opening slot to Shubman Gill, but continues to be a part of the playing XI as a middle-order batter. Gil had a poor ODI and a prolonged loss of form would lead to calls for Sanju to open again for the Men in Blue.
Fans would also be delighted to see pacer Jasprit Bumrah back with the team after being rested during the ODIs.