IPL Qualifier 2: What time must PBKS vs MI start for full game in Ahmedabad?

The highly anticipated IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings faced an initial delay on Sunday evening due to passing showers at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Although heavy rain was not forecast, intermittent drizzle threatened to disrupt the flow of this virtual semifinal, that will decide who joins Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final showdown on Tuesday.

Before the rain intervened, Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first, banking on the boost to their bowling department with the return of veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, handed a debut to England’s left-arm pacer Reece Topley, who replaced the injured Richard Gleeson in the playing XI.

As per IPL 2025 regulations, every playoff match has a cut-off time of 11:56 PM IST. In the event of rain interruptions, either before or during play, match officials are equipped with a 120-minute buffer window to resume or complete the game. Overs will not be deducted during this period; however, once this grace window is exhausted, the umpires will begin reducing overs in accordance with the tournament’s playing conditions.

For the match to yield an official result, both teams must play at least five overs each. If the second innings fails to reach this threshold before the cut-off time, the match will be deemed abandoned. In such a scenario, Punjab Kings will automatically qualify for the final by virtue of finishing higher than Mumbai Indians on the league table during the group stage.

Should weather interruptions cause a reduction in overs, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method will come into play to determine the result, provided both teams have faced the minimum number of overs required.

Below are key implications of the cut-off time:

a) If the match cannot begin or resume before 11:56 PM IST and at least five overs per side are not completed, PBKS will move into the final by default

b) A shortened game is feasible, so long as it begins within the allotted time and satisfies the minimum-over criteria

c) The second innings must feature at least five overs for any result to be declared under DLS

This article first appeared on Mid Day