Cricket World Cup: On eve of India vs Bangladesh game, rain gives a teaser of what it can do

India go into Pune with a perfect record at the World Cup so far, having beaten Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan from their first three games.

IND vs BAN: World Cup 2023 match forecast

Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on the eve of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Bangladesh, in Pune, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (PTI)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

With India’s World Cup caravan having arrived in Pune for their fourth game of the tournament, the weather on the eve of the match against Bangladesh on Thursday has given an early scare.

Click here to follow our liveblog of the India vs Bangladesh Cricket World Cup match

As the two teams having an optional training session on Wednesday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, the ground staff were forced rush in and cover the main pitch as it drizzled in the city.

Story continues below this ad

While the forecast from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted partly cloud skies for Wednesday, the weather is expected to be better on Thursday. The monsoon in the state of Maharashtra this year has extended until October and the region is also accustomed to showers during the retrieval season ahead of the winters.

MORE FROM THE 2023 ODI WORLD CUP

It won’t the first time rain has impacted games at this ODI World Cup with the last two fixtures in the competition – Australia vs Sri Lanka and South Africa vs Netherlands – having been forced into stoppage/delay in Lucknow and Dharamsala respectively.

India go into Pune with a perfect record at the World Cup so far, having beaten Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan from their first three games.

Bangladesh on the other hand have lost two games in a row against England and New Zealand after having started their campaign with a win against Afghanistan.

Story continues below this ad

The game on Thursday is scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM IST.