Watching your favorite team lose is tough, but nothing is more frustrating for a cricket fan than a match being abandoned. Fans tune into their TVs or mobile screens and flock to stadiums, eager to watch their favorite teams or players in action. But then, out of nowhere, it starts raining. Such unwelcome surprises can have a significant impact on teams’ chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen its fair share of these washouts, where matches are called off without any play, leaving fans and players equally disappointed. The most recent one was top-seeded Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, which was also called off. After both sides were given one point apiece, the teams finished the league stage with the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals in third place and the Chandrakant Pandit-coached Kolkata Knight Riders in first place.

IPL 2024:

Gujarat Titans (GT) vs KKR, 63rd Match: At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, persistent rain prevented even a five-over game. This washout marked GT’s final home game of the season and ended their tournament run, while KKR clinched a top-two finish.

SRH vs GT, 66th Match: Continuous rain in Hyderabad led to the abandonment of GT’s last match of the season without a toss. This was the first time in 76 IPL games that a match in Hyderabad was called off. As a result, SRH secured their spot in the playoffs.

IPL 2017:

SRH v/s RCB: There was too much rain in Bengaluru on the 29th match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). For Virat Kohli’s RCB in terms of the playoffs, it was an important game. The home team concluded their season at the bottom of the points table, while SRH finished third in the league stage.

Thus, IPL season 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018-2023, experienced no abandoned matches. IPL 2009 and the current season, 2024, till date have record of most abandoned matches, that is two matches in both seasons. Interestingly, Kolkata Knight Riders is one such team which experienced the most number of cancelled matches, that is seven matches in total. 

IPL 2015:

KKR v/s RR: Without a ball being played, the 25th game between KKR and RR was cancelled due to the damp out-field conditions at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. As a result, the two teams shared points, which upped the game of RR as the team was able to climb to the top of the points table.

IPL 2012:

KKR v/s Deccan Chargers: Eden Gardens was so soaked that the 32nd game between KKR and Deccan Chargers had to be called off. After losing their opening six games, it was the 2009 winners’, Deccan Chargers, first point.

IPL 2009: 

(MI v/s RR) : Due to sporadic rain in Durban, the seventh match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) has to be cancelled. Neither side was particularly powerful at the moment because the tournament was still in its early stages. However, neither team played well, placing sixth (RR) and seventh (MI), respectively.

(CSK v/s KKR) : The thirteenth game between CSK and KKR had to be cancelled before a ball was played because of the persistent rain in Cape Town. In the 2009 season, KKR emerged victorious from the league stage, with CSK coming in second.  

IPL 2008:

DD v/s KKR: The 47th match of the first IPL season between the Delhi Daredevils, now Delhi Capitals, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was the first to be cancelled before a ball was even played. Although the outcome enabled Kings XI Punjab make it to the playoffs, KKR was the third team to be eliminated from the competition.