Rain threat looms large on all T20 World Cup Super 8 clashes in West Indies

With all three matches in Florida abandoned due to rain and Pakistan robbed of their chances to qualify for T20 World Cup Super 8, there could be another set of upsets. The weather forecast for Super 8 stages in the Caribbean islands does not offer any confidence. Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua and St Vincent will host 12 Super 8 matches with rain prediction in almost all of them. If you are an India Cricket Team fan, the blockbuster IND vs AUS could be a washout. There is a 50% chance of rain in St Lucia on June 24. Matches of Australia and England — the two title contenders — could be determined by the weather in the West Indies.

That leads to the question: did ICC play it smart by handing over hosting rights to the West Indies and the USA? In 2010 T20 World Cup, rain impacted as many as 4 matches. There was a washout in England vs Ireland in Guyana as well. So far, in T20 World Cup 2024, rain has already impacted 5 matches including 4 washouts. In Antigua, after almost 4 hours of delay, only a 10-over England vs Namibia clash was possible. And that could be the pattern in the Super 8 as well.

Barbados Weather Forecast

Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados will host three Super 8 matches apart from the T20 World Cup final. Barring the IND vs AFG clash on June 20, there is a threat of rain in all three games. The final on June 29 could also see a rain-interrupted match.

For the IND vs AFG clash on June 20, there is still a little chance of rain of about 10-20%. However, it’s unlikely that rain will have the final say in that match.

However, things get serious in the USA vs West Indies and USA vs England clashes on June 22 and June 23, respectively. There is about a 40% chance of rain in the USA vs WI clash and a 54% chance of rain in the USA vs ENG game. The final may not be spared either with over 50% chance of rain.

The good news is that the arrangement in Kensington Oval is as good as it gets. Even if there is rain, the match could go ahead after a brief break.

Date	IST	Local Time	Matches	Rain chance %
June 20	20:00	10:30	IND vs AFG	10%
June 22	06:00	20:30	USA vs WI	40%
June 23	20:00	10:30	USA vs ENG	54%
June 29	20:00	10:30	Final	53%

St Lucia Weather Forecast

Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia will host three Super 8 matches including the blockbuster IND vs AUS on June 24. While England may get away with their matches on June 20 and 21, things don’t look good on June 24. There is over 50% chance of rain in IND vs AUS clash. And if rain impacts the match, Super 8 Group 1 could be wide open for upsets.

However, unlike Barbados, the arrangements for rain and ground coverage are not as great. The ground does not have a full covering and that leads to a wet outfield, delaying matches.

Date	IST	Local Time	Matches	Rain chance %
June 20	06:00	20:30	WI vs ENG	20%
June 21	20:00	10:30	ENG vs SA	20%
June 24	20:00	10:30	IND vs AUS	50%

Antigua Weather Forecast

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua is home to 8 matches in T20 World Cup. And rain already took a toll on the England vs Namibia match on June 15. There was an almost 4-hour delay despite no rain because of poor drainage system and wet outfield. Now, Antigua will host four Super 8 clashes with about 20-25% chances of rain in each match. There is also a 20% chance of rain in the IND vs BAN clash on June 22.

Date	IST	Local Time	Matches	Rain chance %
June 19	20:00	10:30	SA vs USA	23%
June 21	06:00	20:30	AUS vs BAN	25%
June 22	20:00	10:30	IND vs BAN	20%
June 24	06:00	20:30	SA vs WI	25%

St Vincent Weather Forecast

Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown will host two Super 8 clashes. While rain has not impacted the Group games, the weather forecast does not look good for the Super 8 matches. There is a 52% chance of rain in the Australia vs Afghanistan match on June 23. And if the match is washed out, it could very well determine the Super 8 Group 1 standings.

Unfortunately, Arnos Vale also does not have a great arrangement for rain-impacted matches. The ground only has partial cover during rain leading to a wet outfield.

Date	IST	Local Time	Matches	Rain chance %
June 23	06:00	20:30	AFG vs AUS	52%
June 25	06:00	20:30	AFG vs BAN	47%