What happens if India vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023 match is washed out due to rain?

The most difficult question is - if India's match against Nepal gets washed out as well, where does that leave their chances of making the Super Four?

Thousands of spectators at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy on late Saturday night and those glued to their television sets were left frustrated after waiting through hours only to be denied by the rain, which had the final say. Twice it had affected the much-awaited blockbuster clash during India's innings, but both were for a short while before the Men in Blue eventually completed their innings. But the rain never stopped after it interrupted for the third time before the start of the second innings. The stadium that was buzzing through the riveting action as the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf wreaked havoc against the Indian top order before Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya smashed the spinners around in their record 138-run stand, was left dismayed as the first ever India-Pakistan encounter in the ODIs since the 2019 World Cup was washed out. And if Team India is hoping from some respite from all the talk about rain and get some quality game time against Nepal, they are in for a similar treatment.

If Team India is hoping from some respite from all the talk about rain and get some quality game time against Nepal, they are in for a similar treatment.

Sri Lanka do not schedule cricket matches in their country In September with the Island witnessing monsoon around this time of the year. Areas like Pallekele and Colombo received heavy rainfall over the last few days and the rain threat remains on Monday as well in Kandy. According to Accuweather, there is a 89 per cent probability of precipitation with the weather forecast as cloudy with showers, with an additional 26 per cent likelihood of thunderstorms. The hourly forecast further shows that chances of rain are heavy between 11am and 4pm, implying a delayed start to the match.

On Sunday, Indian team did not undergo any practice for the match against Nepal, but their opponents were at the venue and had an indoor training session as the pitch was covered due to persistent rain throughout the day.

What happens if the match between India and Nepal is washed out?

This will be the most difficult question for Indian fans after witnessing a washout of the Pakistan game which resulted in both teams sharing a point each. Pakistan qualified for the Super Four stage after gaining that one point having earlier beaten Nepal in their opener in Multan on September 30 when captain Babar Azam has scored a record 151 while Iftikhar Ahmed notched up his maiden ton.

Hence, if India's match against Nepal gets washed out as well, where does that leave their chances of making the next round? According to the rules, each side must play for at least 20 overs to decide the winner. With a delayed start on the cards, overs are likely to be trimmed depending on the hours lost. If the same happens in the second innings, the scores will be adjusted according as overs get reduced.

In case the fate of the match goes the similar way as Saturday, both teams will share a point each. This will mean, Nepal will be knocked out from the race to make the Super Four while India will go through after bagging a total of two points from the two washed out matches in the group stage. It will also have a mental impact on the team given that they will go untested into the second round of the tournament, which is slated to be a dress rehearsal for the ODI World Cup next year.