The seventeenth edition of the Indian Premier League - IPL 2024 kicks off on Friday (March 22) with the league phase, while the action is set to continue for over two months as the tournament is pencilled in for conclusion with the final on May 26.

The 10 teams will play fourteen matches, which includes 7 home games and 7 away games during the league phase. Post the league phase, the top four will progress to the playoffs based on their standings in the IPL 2024 points table.   The IPL 2024 is scheduled in the Indian summer, but there is threat of rain during the months of March to May as witnessed during the last edition which saw the final being held on the reserve day after rain washed out chances of play on the scheduled matchday. Although the forecast looks promising in the 10 host cities for the partial schedule released by te BCCI, there is a chance we could see an odd and unexpected summer shower even this year as the weather has become very unpredictable in the last few years. 10 venues - Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vizag, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Chandigarh will play hosts to the matches in the first two weeks of IPL 2024. There is no chance of rain as per the weather aggregators on the scheduled match days at the aforementioned cities. But what if there is rain? So, that brings us to the question as to what happens if it rains during IPL 2024 matches? Here is a look at the IPL 2024 Rain Rules: What is the playing duration of IPL 2024 match? An IPL match is contested in T20 format (20 overs for each teams). And the match should be completed within 3 hours and 20 minutes including the innings break as well as the four strategic time-outs. Is there any additional time, if the IPL 2024 match is delayed by unavoidable circumstances like weather or floodlight failure? If weather or any other conditions interrupt the match, there is an extra 60 minutes or an hour window to complete the match. So, what is the extension time for the two matches on a doubleheader day? For the 3:30 PM IST start matches, the match can be completed within 8 PM if there is any interruption due to weather or any other condition. For the 7:30 PM IST match, the extension window lasts till 12 AM IST. How does the extension window work in IPL 2024? If extra time is required to be used, it will be taken in the following sequence. In the event of a delayed start or interruption, the provision of sixty minutes extra time is to be used first, followed by the time allocated for 'time outs' and then the reduction in the innings change interval (if applicable). From when does the number of overs start reducing? As per the IPL playing conditions, when playing time has been lost, the revised number of overs to be bowled in the match will be based on a rate of 14.11 overs per hour in the total remaining time available for play (that is also taking the extension window of 60 minutes into account). How many overs is the minimum requirement to get a result? As per the laws of the game, to get a result in a match, a minimum of 5 overs have to be bowled to the team batting second subject to a result not being achieved earlier. So, at least both teams will need to face 5 overs each to determine a result. But, if the weather or any other interruptions are not very long, the overs are reduced keeping in mind playing duration of the match. The result also will be determined via Duckworth Lewis Stren method, should the rain interrupt play during the two innings. What happens if the game cannot be completed within the playing hours including the 60-minute window? In case a five-over a side game is also not possible within the remaining permitted playing hours including extended window, then the match will be considered as no result with both teams sharing a point each in the league stages. Mark Hoover Mykhel source: mykhel.com