In the game of cricket, when two teams walk into the middle, both strive to produce their best to extract the desired result. However, there are certain factors in the sport that impact the planning of teams with their intervention. Rain is one such thing that has affected some big matches in mega One-Day International (ODI) events.&nbsp;

Ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/?ref=hm" title="World Cup 2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup 2023</a>, it’s time to recall some matches from ICC ODI events where the weather played the role of spoiler for some teams. In the 2017 Champions Trophy, Australia became a victim of bad weather as they had the chance to vanquish Bangladesh at the Oval and qualify for the semi-final. However, the match washed out due to rain and later in the competition, this fruitless game knocked the Aussies out of the tournament.

Here are the five instances when rain changed the fate of matches in ICC ODI events

5. England versus India- 2013 Champions Trophy final

In the 2013 Champions Trophy, India and England locked horns with each other in the final in Birmingham. The match started after 4 o'clock in the evening due to rain and the overs were reduced to 20 per side. Winning the toss in the game, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/sri-lanka-to-tour-england-for-three-tests-in-2024/" title="England" target="_blank" rel="noopener">England</a> invited India to bat first.

England looked attacking with the ball in the contest as they restricted India to a low score of 129. Virat Kohli scored 43 off 34 and became the highest run-getter in the big game. Ravindra Jadeja also played an unbeaten innings of 33 off 25 to help the team put up a respectable total on the board.

Following the low score, England lost their four batters within nine overs at a score of 46. Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara brought the hosts back into the game with their fine innings of 33 (30) and 30 (25) respectively. With 20 required off 16, England were expected to walk back home victorious but Ishant Sharma who dismissed both settled batters on back-to-back deliveries and brought India into a dominating position.&nbsp;

In the next over, Jadeja removed Buttler on a duck and Tim Bresnan also fell cheaply which made India’s task easy. The match ended in India’s favour by five runs and Jadeja received the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance (unbeaten 33-run knock off 25 balls and 2/24 spell in four overs).

4. India versus New Zealand- 2019 World Cup semi-final

In the 2019 World Cup, when <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/ind-vs-aus-team-india-hit-by-viral-sickness-ahead-of-third-odi-five-players-unavailable-for-the-game-5576/" title=" India " target="_blank" rel="noopener">India </a>and New Zealand clashed in the semi-final at Old Trafford, adverse weather played a vital role in the outcome of the match. Batting first after winning the toss, the Black Caps scored 211 runs in 46.1 overs. After 46 overs of the contest, heavy showers forced players to return to the pavilion.&nbsp;

With the availability of the reserve day, the match was played the next day and New Zealand ended their innings on 239. Ross Taylor showcased his skills in the crucial contest and became the highest scorer for his team with 74 off 90. The Kiwi captain Kane Williamson also performed well with the bat, notching up 67 off 95.

Chasing the decent target of 240, Indian batters looked nervous as they racked up only 92 runs in 30.2 overs, with the loss of six batters. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni displayed their spunk and took the game close for their team but in the end, the Kiwis held their nerves and defeated the Men in Blue by 18 runs.

3. South Africa versus New Zealand- 2015 World Cup semi-final

South Africa and New Zealand played spectacular cricket in the 2015 World Cup. Both teams met each other in the semi-final at Eden Park, Auckland, and gave an unforgettable match to cricket supporters. In the rain-curtailed contest, South Africa elected to bat first and posted 281 runs on the board in 43 overs.

Faf du Plessis hit 82 off 107 and emerged as the leading run-scorer for his side. Skipper AB de Villers also contributed with an unbeaten 65 off 45 to his team while David Miller also played an eye-grabbing knock of 49 off just 18. The hosts got the task to chase the revised target of 298 in 43 overs. &nbsp; Pursuing the total, the Kiwis openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill looked confident. Captain McCullum scored 59 off 26 and gave a superb start to the team. However, after the fall of both openers, New Zealand’s innings slowed down and they found themselves in trouble with the dismissal of four batters on 149.&nbsp;

Playing the crucial contest, Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson displayed their batting excellence. Anderson chipped in with 58 off 57 and Elliott stood at the crease till the end and took his side home, with his unbeaten 84 off 73. New Zealand won the game by four wickets with just one ball to spare and Elliott became the Player of the Match for his scintillating innings.

2. South Africa versus Sri Lanka- 2003 World Cup

In 2003, South Africa hosted the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a> along with Zimbabwe and Kenya. The Proteas were also one of the favourites to win the title as they were playing in home conditions. However, things started getting difficult for them in the competition following their losses against the West Indies and New Zealand in the group round.

With three victories and two defeats, the Proteas were required to win their last group match against Sri Lanka in Durban to qualify for the Super Six. Playing the do-or-die match, the hosts were put to bowl first by Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya. Riding on Marvan Atapattu’s 124 (129) and Aravinda de Silva’s 73 (78), Sri Lanka tasked the Proteas to chase 269 in 50 overs.

South Africa got a fine start while chasing the challenging total. Both openers Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs looked great with their bats, adding 65 runs in 11 overs. However, Smith fell on 35 off 34, and the Proteas’ struggle began in the game as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Gibbs, who looked in great touch, went back to the pavilion after scoring 73 off 88.

Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock made crucial contributions in the lower middle order and took the Proteas close to the target. Pollock got dismissed on 25 while Boucher was standing in the middle on 45 off 50. With 40 needed off 30, heavy rain intervened and the match ended in a tie which concluded South Africa’s journey in the World Cup in the group round.

1. England versus South Africa-1992 World Cup semi-final

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/temba-bavuma-led-south-africa-depart-for-india-ahead-of-odi-world-cup-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa </a>made their World Cup debut in 1992 under Kepler Wessels. In their inaugural World Cup edition, they played quality cricket in the round-robin stage and qualified for the semi-final. At the knockout contest, they squared off with England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Fielding first after winning the toss, the Proteas gave away 252 runs to England in 45 overs. Five overs were reduced from each side due to rain. Following the total, South Africa opener Andrew Hudson and middle-order batter Adrian Kuiper played stable knocks of 46 (52) and 36 (44), respectively. In the lower middle order, Jonty Rhodes also scored 43 off 38 to help his team pursue the chase smoothly.

Before the final ball of the 43rd over of South Africa's innings, rain interrupted play again. The moment when the game stopped South Africa were required 22 off 13 to win the game. The match continued later but this time, the Most Productive Overs method came into use which deducted two overs from the South African innings.&nbsp;

With this development, the Proteas were now required to score 22 off one for victory. Brian McMillan and David Richardson walked in the middle and played the last delivery of the game. The Proteas lost the contest by 18 runs and exited the tournament in an unfortunate manner.&nbsp;

In the game of cricket, when two teams walk into the middle, both strive to produce their best to extract the desired result. However, there are certain factors in the sport that impact the planning of teams with their intervention. Rain is one such thing that has affected some big matches in mega One-Day International (ODI) events.&nbsp;
Ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/?ref=hm" title="World Cup 2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup 2023</a>, it’s time to recall some matches from ICC ODI events where the weather played the role of spoiler for some teams. In the 2017 Champions Trophy, Australia became a victim of bad weather as they had the chance to vanquish Bangladesh at the Oval and qualify for the semi-final. However, the match washed out due to rain and later in the competition, this fruitless game knocked the Aussies out of the tournament.
<h3>Here are the five instances when rain changed the fate of matches in ICC ODI events</h3>
<h3>5. England versus India- 2013 Champions Trophy final</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1695788598659_England-vs-India-Champions-trophy-final.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
In the 2013 Champions Trophy, India and England locked horns with each other in the final in Birmingham. The match started after 4 o'clock in the evening due to rain and the overs were reduced to 20 per side. Winning the toss in the game, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/sri-lanka-to-tour-england-for-three-tests-in-2024/" title="England" target="_blank" rel="noopener">England</a> invited India to bat first.
England looked attacking with the ball in the contest as they restricted India to a low score of 129. Virat Kohli scored 43 off 34 and became the highest run-getter in the big game. Ravindra Jadeja also played an unbeaten innings of 33 off 25 to help the team put up a respectable total on the board.
Following the low score, England lost their four batters within nine overs at a score of 46. Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara brought the hosts back into the game with their fine innings of 33 (30) and 30 (25) respectively. With 20 required off 16, England were expected to walk back home victorious but Ishant Sharma who dismissed both settled batters on back-to-back deliveries and brought India into a dominating position.&nbsp;
In the next over, Jadeja removed Buttler on a duck and Tim Bresnan also fell cheaply which made India’s task easy. The match ended in India’s favour by five runs and Jadeja received the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance (unbeaten 33-run knock off 25 balls and 2/24 spell in four overs).

<h3>4. India versus New Zealand- 2019 World Cup semi-final</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1695788709342_India-vs-NZ.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
In the 2019 World Cup, when <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/ind-vs-aus-team-india-hit-by-viral-sickness-ahead-of-third-odi-five-players-unavailable-for-the-game-5576/" title=" India " target="_blank" rel="noopener">India </a>and New Zealand clashed in the semi-final at Old Trafford, adverse weather played a vital role in the outcome of the match. Batting first after winning the toss, the Black Caps scored 211 runs in 46.1 overs. After 46 overs of the contest, heavy showers forced players to return to the pavilion.&nbsp;
With the availability of the reserve day, the match was played the next day and New Zealand ended their innings on 239. Ross Taylor showcased his skills in the crucial contest and became the highest scorer for his team with 74 off 90. The Kiwi captain Kane Williamson also performed well with the bat, notching up 67 off 95.
Chasing the decent target of 240, Indian batters looked nervous as they racked up only 92 runs in 30.2 overs, with the loss of six batters. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni displayed their spunk and took the game close for their team but in the end, the Kiwis held their nerves and defeated the Men in Blue by 18 runs.

<h3>3. South Africa versus New Zealand- 2015 World Cup semi-final</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1695788834977_South-Africa-vs-New-Zealand.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
South Africa and New Zealand played spectacular cricket in the 2015 World Cup. Both teams met each other in the semi-final at Eden Park, Auckland, and gave an unforgettable match to cricket supporters. In the rain-curtailed contest, South Africa elected to bat first and posted 281 runs on the board in 43 overs.
Faf du Plessis hit 82 off 107 and emerged as the leading run-scorer for his side. Skipper AB de Villers also contributed with an unbeaten 65 off 45 to his team while David Miller also played an eye-grabbing knock of 49 off just 18. The hosts got the task to chase the revised target of 298 in 43 overs. &nbsp; Pursuing the total, the Kiwis openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill looked confident. Captain McCullum scored 59 off 26 and gave a superb start to the team. However, after the fall of both openers, New Zealand’s innings slowed down and they found themselves in trouble with the dismissal of four batters on 149.&nbsp;
Playing the crucial contest, Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson displayed their batting excellence. Anderson chipped in with 58 off 57 and Elliott stood at the crease till the end and took his side home, with his unbeaten 84 off 73. New Zealand won the game by four wickets with just one ball to spare and Elliott became the Player of the Match for his scintillating innings.

<h3>2. South Africa versus Sri Lanka- 2003 World Cup</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1695788938726_SA-vs-SL-2003.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
In 2003, South Africa hosted the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a> along with Zimbabwe and Kenya. The Proteas were also one of the favourites to win the title as they were playing in home conditions. However, things started getting difficult for them in the competition following their losses against the West Indies and New Zealand in the group round.
With three victories and two defeats, the Proteas were required to win their last group match against Sri Lanka in Durban to qualify for the Super Six. Playing the do-or-die match, the hosts were put to bowl first by Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya. Riding on Marvan Atapattu’s 124 (129) and Aravinda de Silva’s 73 (78), Sri Lanka tasked the Proteas to chase 269 in 50 overs.
South Africa got a fine start while chasing the challenging total. Both openers Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs looked great with their bats, adding 65 runs in 11 overs. However, Smith fell on 35 off 34, and the Proteas’ struggle began in the game as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Gibbs, who looked in great touch, went back to the pavilion after scoring 73 off 88.
Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock made crucial contributions in the lower middle order and took the Proteas close to the target. Pollock got dismissed on 25 while Boucher was standing in the middle on 45 off 50. With 40 needed off 30, heavy rain intervened and the match ended in a tie which concluded South Africa’s journey in the World Cup in the group round.

<h3>1. England versus South Africa-1992 World Cup semi-final</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1695810198084_ENG-vs-SA-1992-WC--semi-final-.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/temba-bavuma-led-south-africa-depart-for-india-ahead-of-odi-world-cup-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa </a>made their World Cup debut in 1992 under Kepler Wessels. In their inaugural World Cup edition, they played quality cricket in the round-robin stage and qualified for the semi-final. At the knockout contest, they squared off with England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Fielding first after winning the toss, the Proteas gave away 252 runs to England in 45 overs. Five overs were reduced from each side due to rain. Following the total, South Africa opener Andrew Hudson and middle-order batter Adrian Kuiper played stable knocks of 46 (52) and 36 (44), respectively. In the lower middle order, Jonty Rhodes also scored 43 off 38 to help his team pursue the chase smoothly.
Before the final ball of the 43rd over of South Africa's innings, rain interrupted play again. The moment when the game stopped South Africa were required 22 off 13 to win the game. The match continued later but this time, the Most Productive Overs method came into use which deducted two overs from the South African innings.&nbsp;
With this development, the Proteas were now required to score 22 off one for victory. Brian McMillan and David Richardson walked in the middle and played the last delivery of the game. The Proteas lost the contest by 18 runs and exited the tournament in an unfortunate manner.&nbsp;

In the game of cricket, when two teams walk into the middle, both strive to produce their best to extract the desired result. However, there are certain factors in the sport that impact the planning o

Top 5 instances where rain changed the fate of the match

Ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023, it’s time to recall some matches from ICC ODI events where the weather played the role of spoiler for some teams.

Top 5 instances where rain changed fate of cricket match

Check out the top 5 game-changing moments where rain played spoilsport in cricket matches. Explore how unexpected weather conditions influenced the fate of the game.