Rain in Ahmedabad casued a considerable delay to the start of the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium. While it there were signs of frustration in the MI dugout, with a potential washout unlikely to favour them, the PBKS outfit were a more relaxed side during the rain break. However, their bizarre game of football during the delay left the internet baffled. 

Rain interrupted the start of the match twice on Sunday after PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first, keeping the overhead conditions in mind. A slight drizzle caused a minute's delay, before it was followed by heavy showers, with eventually pushed back the start time to 9:45 PM.

During the rain break, PBKS side engaged in a game of football, but the bizarre manner of their play, which was caught on camera and went viral on social media, left viewers at a loss. As per the footage, the players stood in a queue and took turns in aiming at Priyansh Arya, who stood at a distance and had his back facing his teammates. 

Rain delay did not result in any overs being forfeited

Right as the players were about to enter the field at the usual kickoff time of 7:30 PM, the rain began to fall, and the ground crew responded quickly by covering the middle. The rain was initially a drizzle, but it got heavier for a while. Then, just as the play was about to begin, a second and longer spell of rain interrupted the process.

The BCCI said that when the game resumed at 9:45 PM, nearly two hours after the rain had caused the start of the match to be postponed, no overs were missed.

The Punjab Kings' captain, Iyer, had previously won the toss and decided to field. Yuzvendra Chahal, who had been sidelined by a wrist injury in the previous game, returned, and PBKS only made one substitution to their starting lineup. In contrast, Reece Topley was acquired by the Mumbai Indians for his first match of the season as a replacement for the injured Richard Gleeson.