The cricketing world turns its eyes once again to one of sport’s greatest rivalries as the Pakistan national cricket team faces the India national cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Whenever these two sides meet, it is more than just a match; it is emotion, history, and millions of fans holding their breath for every ball.
A standard T20 fixture is designed to last three hours in total. Each inning is scheduled for 90 minutes, followed by an official 10-minute inning break. Within this overall window, officials also account for up to 35 minutes of extra time to manage any short interruptions, such as weather delays. The aim is always simple: give fans the fullest possible contest while keeping the match fair for both teams.
Cricket, however, often has to negotiate with the weather. If rain interrupts play, the match management and umpires will first pause the game and wait, closely monitoring the conditions and the outfield. Ground staff will move quickly to protect the pitch while officials calculate how much playing time remains.
If the rain stops within the 35-minute allowance, the good news for fans is that the game can usually continue as a full 20-over-per-side match, keeping the original contest intact.
If the rain continues beyond those 35 minutes, the situation changes. To still produce a result, the match length begins to adjust. From that point onward, for roughly every additional four minutes lost, one over per side is reduced.
This means the contest could shift from 20 overs to 15 overs, 12 overs, or 10 overs, depending entirely on when the rain finally clears and the field becomes playable again.
There is, however, a lower limit. The minimum playable match is 5 overs per side. If conditions improve in time for at least a 5-over contest, officials will set the revised overs accordingly, and the match will go ahead.
But if the rain refuses to relent long enough even for that minimum, the game would unfortunately be abandoned, with the result recorded as “No Result.” In such a case, both teams will be awarded 1 point each in the tournament standings.
For players, officials, and fans alike, rain delays are moments of anxious waiting, covers on the field, spectators watching the clouds, and teams ready in the dressing rooms for the call to resume. Yet the priority always remains the same: ensure a fair, safe, and competitive match whenever the weather allows.
As Pakistan and India prepare for another chapter in their storied rivalry, everyone hopes the only thing falling on the field will be boundaries, not rain.