Rain Threat Looms Over India Vs Australia T20 World Cup Match In St Lucia

Heavy rain fell in St Lucia just hours before the crucial India vs Australia Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Monday, June 24. The match is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM local time (8:00 PM IST).

Visuals from St Lucia showed dark clouds and heavy rainfall. According to AccuWeather, thunderstorms are expected just before the match starts, with more rain predicted around noon.

The rain paused briefly before resuming. "It rained heavily in the morning for some time. Stopped now, but heavily overcast," tweeted Rajneesh Gupta.

"It is raining this morning in St Lucia and it is quite overcast. But since yesterday, the pattern is that there are short sharp bursts of rain. Another 4 hours to go though, before the start of play," Harsha Bhogle wrote on X.

A full 20-over match seems unlikely due to the weather, but a result is possible if overs are reduced. ICC rules state that each team must play at least five overs for a result in Super 8 matches.

Australia needs a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive. If they lose or the match is abandoned, Afghanistan has a chance to qualify by beating Bangladesh on Tuesday.

Semi-Final Scenarios

England and South Africa have already secured their spots in the semi-finals from Super 8 Group 2. Afghanistan will join India in the semi-finals if they win against Bangladesh and Australia loses or the match gets abandoned.

The weather conditions in St Lucia are causing uncertainty for this crucial match. Fans and teams alike are hoping for a break in the weather to allow play to proceed.