In what might be yet another dampener or a weather-curtailed game, there is a 55% chance of rain on Saturday afternoon in Manchester, when India take on England in the second of the five-match T20I series at Old Trafford, with all eyes on a possible debut for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The opening T20I between the two teams at Chester-le-Street’s Riverside Ground on Wednesday was washed out by rain and both cricketers and fans will be hoping the weather stays away when the action shifts to Manchester on Saturday.
The first match was abandoned after India posted a healthy 189/7, riding on fifties from Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer. The latter top-scored with 68 off 47 deliveries, while Abhishek slammed 59 off just 24 balls.
England couldn’t
come in for the chase due to inclement weather.
Rain Threat in Manchester? Weather Outlook for the India vs England 2nd T20I
The second T20I between India and England will start at 2:30 pm local time, which is 7 pm IST. According to Accuweather, the weather would be cloudy and breezy with a passing shower or two on Saturday afternoon.
The temperature will be 20 degrees Celsius, with 73% humidity. There is a 55% chance of rain, with 0.3mm of rain predicted. There will be a whopping 93% cloud cover. There is a 49% chance of rain in the evening as well.
Can Sanju Samson Withstand the Sooryavanshi Storm?
But the spotlight over the next few games will be on Sanju Samson and whether he can withstand the growing clamour for Sooryavanshi, whose push for a place in the XI is becoming tough to ignore.
In an alternate universe, three consecutive match-winning innings in India’s T20 World Cup win would have given Samson a cushion for a year.
But with Indian cricket uncovering a generational talent in Sooryavanshi, Samson now has very little margin for error and even the goodwill earned from India’s T20 World Cup win may not be enough to shield him from mounting competition.
