Damp squib: Unrelenting rain quashed all hopes of action in the GT-KKR match.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
It was neither a dominating performance by the table-topper nor was it a consolation win for the home team in its last outing at its famed home-ground. Instead, it turned out to be a damp squib as Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders were forced to split points in the opening affair of the preliminary stage’s last week of the Indian Premier League.
A dust-storm late in the afternoon developed into pre-season showers and a relentless drizzle throughout the night meant neither team even stepped out of the Narendra Modi Stadium dressing room until the game was formally called off at 10.36 p.m.
The abandonment – IPL 2024’s first – meant Titans’ mathematical chances of making a late entry into the playoffs were washed away. Knight Riders, meanwhile, was assured of a top-two finish, a vital aspect of the league stage since it offers an additional opportunity for the team to feature in the grand finale on May 26.
With Titans having thumped Chennai Super Kings, thanks to captain Shubman Gill and stylish southpaw B. Sai Sudharsan’s hundreds at the top in its last outing, Amdavadis had hoped for a win in GT’s last league game. Instead, they had to make do with multiple rounds of rain dances.
While KKR will feature in IPL playoffs for the first time since 2021, Titans will miss out on the playoffs for the first time since joining the bandwagon in 2022. With the city set to host the first two playoffs ties, the IPL organisers will hope that the pre-monsoon showers take a break next week.