India vs Pakistan, New York weather report: Thunderstorm to affect T20 World Cup clash? What happens in case of washout?

Amid concerns about whether the New York track, the Group A match between India and Pakistan on Sunday will also be at the mercy of the rain gods. The sole concern in the build-up to the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan was the “dangerous” Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, which has been subject to criticism all through the week owing to the uneven bounce and the poor outfield. BCCI had even reportedly lodged an unofficial complaint to the ICC on the New York pitch after India captain Rohit Sharma injured his forearm while batting in the match against Ireland. Amid concerns about whether the Nassau County track would dampen the much-awaited spectacle, the Group A match on Sunday is also likely to be affected by thunderstorms. The two arch-rivals are set to meet in New York for their second Group A game. While India managed a comfortable win against Ireland in their campaign opener on Wednesday, Pakistan were shocked by co-hosts USA in Dallas as they lost via Super Over to have their hopes hanging in the balance. With the game being a must-win encounter for both as the tournament builds towards the Super Eight stage of the World Cup, the players and fans would hope that rain doesn’t dampen affairs further. Will rain play spoilsport in India vs Pakistan According to Accuweather, the weather forecast for New York reads: ‘A thundershower in spots this morning; otherwise, breezy with periods of clouds and sun’. While the hourly forecast for 10 and 11 am local time shows ‘intermittent clouds’, the chances of rain increase from 15 to 47 per cent through the hour, with chances of thunderstorms in the afternoon (until 1 pm local time).This implies that the first innings in New York will be marred by rain, making the toss a deciding factor in the match amid the tricky track and the DLS equation. What happens in case of washout?Given that it is a group-stage encounter, there are no reserve days assigned by the organisers. Hence, if the match gets washed out, India and Pakistan will share a point each. While the no result will keep India in the second spot, below USA (4 points in 2 games), in the Group A points table with three points from two games, Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign will remain in tatters as they would stand at the fourth spot with a solitary point. This would also imply that their fate would depend on how other teams in the group performs in the remaining matches, while hoping they beat Canada and Ireland to make the Super Eight.