Chennai weather forecast, IPL Final, KKR vs SRH: MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch report

The much anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) final between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad will take place on 26 May (Sunday) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Both teams carry momentum of recent wins, KKR beat SRH in the first qualifier and Sunrisers staged a comeback to beat Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier.

KKR, who finished top of the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches, are targeting a third IPL title while SRH are gunning for their second. Sunrisers, meanwhile, had finished second in the group stage of the competition with eight victories out of 14.

Chennai weather forecast

Chennai witnessed unseasonal rain on the eve of the final with Kolkata Knight Riders players forced off from their practice session. Instead of working on the cricket in the middle or the nets, the players were forced to resort to football to keep themselves physically going for the final. Groundstaff, meanwhile, were quick to cover the pitch even if they reacted slowly to provide safety to the square.

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The rain has picked up in Chennai and it's bucketing down. KKR players continue with their footvolley near the ropes but don't think any practice will be possible today pic.twitter.com/k6FxUVpXSn

— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) May 25, 2024

The IPL final is expected to see no such interruptions with weather hovering around 34 degrees Celsius when the toss takes place at 7 PM IST. There are 0% chances of rain, as per Accuweather, with humidity of 61%.

Over the course of the match, the weather is expected to remain the same but the humidity level will rise to near 70%. Cyclone Remal is unlikely to disrupt this blockbuster match.

What happens if the match gets washed out?

In the off chance rain does play spoilsport on Sunday, there is a reserve day for the final. If the match cannot continue, it will be shifted to Monday and resume from the point it was halted.

Before that, though, the IPL organisers will allow 120 minutes extra for the match to be finished on Sunday itself. Should that not be possible, it goes to the reserve day.

If the match gets interrupted and spoilt on Monday as well, then the team that finished higher on the points table will be crowned champions. In this case, KKR will become champions.

Pitch report for MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai

Given its history, Chepauk will favour the bowlers, especially the bowlers. If the second qualifier is any indication, the surface will be slow and the team that reacts and adapts quicker to the slow conditions will fare better.

Additionally, Chepauk has been a haven for spinners with ample grip and plenty of turn. It would limit scoring chances for the batters unless a team counters this threat well.