Colombo weather update: Will rain delay start of IND vs PAK match? Check hourly forecast

The India vs Pakistan clash in Colombo has withstood the political pressures, but it seems that the high-octane clash could have another disturbance incoming in the form of rain. Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology’s Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued a stark warning ahead of the India vs Pakistan match.

What does Sri Lanka's weather department say?

In an advisory, Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology wrote, “PLEASE BE AWARE. A low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeastern Bay of Bengal around 15 February.”

Follow LIVE Score of India vs Pakistan match here

Technically speaking, a low-pressure area is a spot where the atmospheric weight is lighter than the air around it. It then creates an atmospheric vacuum of sorts by pulling in moisture from the sea and forcing it upwards to create dense clouds. This means that, unlike passing showers, a low-pressure area increases the chances of rain persisting.

What is the rain forecast for today?

AccuWeather predicts a 96% chance of rainfall in Colombo today. As per the hourly prediction, the chances of rainfall till 6PM are over 40% and then drop sharply to 8% thereafter. Earlier, the chance of rain post 7 pm local time on Sunday was 9 %, but that has reduced by one percent. AccuWeather has predicted rain for about four hours in Colombo on Sunday, with a cloud cover of 95%.

The toss for the India vs Pakistan match has taken place in Colombo, with Pakistan opting to bowl first. Thus, at the moment, there is no delay to the start of the match and will start on time.

You can checkout the hourly forecast by Accuweather below:

The good news for cricket fans is that the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where the India vs Pakistan match is being played, has very capable staff who can cover the entire outfield and get the ground match-ready in under 20 minutes once the rain stops.

What will happen if rain washes out India vs Pakistan match?

Should rain wash out the India vs Pakistan match in Colombo on Sunday, then both the teams will share a point each. Since this is a group stage match, there is no reserve day available. In that case, both India and Pakistan will get five points each from three games, and both the teams will qualify for the Super Eight stage.

Currently, both teams have four points from two games each. USA, who have played all their four group stage games, have earned four points as well. Netherlands are in fourth place with two points from three games, whereas Namibia, with no points at all have been eliminated.

Predicted XI:

With Abhishek Sharma likely back to full fitness, the left-handed batter is expected to replace Sanju Samson in the playing XI. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh could make way for Washington Sundar on a track that is likely to favour the spinners. Another change in the Indian XI could be the inclusion of wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in place of a pacer in the form of Arshdeep Singh.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, who already possess a spin-heavy lineup, are unlikely to make any big changes to the winning combination that has secured them victories against USA and Netherlands.

India:

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan:

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq