Last Updated: May 27, 2026 04:35 PM
New Chandigarh gets ready for the most dramatic playoff match tonight. Sunrisers Hyderabad faces Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator on May 27. Whoever wins advances to Qualifier 2 while the loser packs up sadly.
But what happens if rain ruins everything and washes it out completely? That’s when league standings come into play in a surprising way. The better-placed team from the regular season advances without playing a ball!
SRH sits third on the points table with 18 points. Rajasthan Royals finished fourth with 16 points from the league stage. That two-point gap could decide everything if the weather turns nasty suddenly.
The Rain Washout Scenario
IPL 2026 playoffs have strict rules nobody really talks about honestly. There’s no reserve day for the Eliminator unlike the final. Complete washout means no sharing points and no next-day continuation either!
The higher-placed team from the league stage gets the advantage. SRH vs RR Eliminator sees Sunrisers holding the upper hand completely. Pat Cummins’ team advances directly to Qualifier 2 if rain wins.
That means the Rajasthan Royals go home without playing a match! Sounds unfair but the BCCI made these rules for playoff cricket. Two extra league points suddenly become incredibly valuable now.
What Actually Needs to Happen
For any match result, five overs per side become mandatory. Playoffs allow an extra hour compared to regular league games. Umpires can extend by two hours more if rain causes delays.
The deadline to start a five-over-a-side match is 11:50 PM IST. If rain prevents reaching that point, SRH advances automatically. No negotiations happen and no points get shared between teams.
Weather Forecast for Tonight
Good news arrives from the meteorological department surprisingly! Chandigarh shows favorable weather conditions for tonight’s crucial match. The temperature around 33°C with humidity of about 13% looks perfect.
Cloud cover sits at just 2% according to forecasts today. Evening skies should remain mostly clear throughout the match. Rain seems unlikely based on current weather predictions thankfully.
Pitch Behavior Matters Too
Pitch number 4 hosted three previous IPL 2026 matches here. All three games saw the chasing team winning convincingly. Captains winning the toss will probably choose to bowl first!
This favors SRH vs RR Eliminator excitement and drama potentially. Both teams prepared strategies around chasing dynamics on this pitch.
