There is a significant risk of rain interrupting the second Pakistan vs India fixture in the 2023 Asia Cup, with Colombo having experienced a wet week in the approach to the match, and with the forecast suggesting there is a chance of thunderstorms on the match day.

The city does not usually see this amount of rain in September, and has hosted ODI cricket successfully at this time of year in the past, though some matches have been rain-reduced. The northeast monsoon generally starts in mid-October, and September often falls within the less wet inter-monsoon season.

There is a reserve day for the Pakistan vs India match, though – the only Super Four game to have that luxury. However, the umpires will try to achieve a result on the match day itself. In case there is a delay or an interruption, the hours of play can be extended by 90 minutes. If the match cannot be completed on Sunday, the teams will attempt to finish it on Monday, continuing from where they left off.

The PCB had been on board with plans to move the Colombo Asia Cup matches to Hambantota – a drier venue at this time of year – but those plans were abandoned at the last minute by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The ACC essentially claimed that it was too late to move the matches, as travelling fans would have already made plans to watch the games in Colombo.

The first match between these two teams had been rained out, but that was in Pallekele. On that occasion, India were dismissed for 266 in 48.5 overs. Pakistan could not begin their chase because of the weather.