Weather, rain and fantasy picks: what to do when the forecast is bad

Updated: 14 November 2026 · Yorker11

Short answer: When rain is forecast, favour players who are involved early (openers, number three and new-ball bowlers), because a shortened match may never reach the death overs or the lower order. In a reduced match each bowler may bowl only a fifth of the overs, so frontline bowlers lose some value. A result needs at least 20 overs a side in an ODI and 5 in a T20 international.

Weather does two things to a fantasy team: it changes how much cricket is played, and it changes how the ball behaves. Both are predictable enough to plan around.

1. Rain that shortens the game

If overs are lost, the playing conditions reduce each innings and, for the side batting second, set a revised target using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. For fantasy purposes the key effects are:

• Fewer balls to share. The lower order may not bat at all.
• Fewer overs per bowler. In a shortened match, no bowler may bowl more than one-fifth of the overs (rounded up). A 20-over ODI gives each bowler four overs, not ten.
• Minimum overs for a result. At least 20 overs a side in an ODI and 5 overs a side in a T20I. Below that, the match is usually abandoned, and many games void it.

What we do: in a rain-threatened game, we lean towards openers, the number three and new-ball bowlers, who are involved from the first over. We are wary of finishers and fifth bowlers.

2. Rain before the start

A delayed start often means a reduced match decided before the toss. If you can edit your team after the toss, check the confirmed overs. Short matches favour aggressive batters and bowlers who take wickets in the first few overs; they reduce the value of anchors.

3. Humidity and dew

On humid evenings, dew forms on the grass after dark. The ball gets wet, spinners struggle to grip, and batting usually becomes easier in the second innings. Our venue guides measure how often evenings near each fixture had a dew-point gap of 4°C or less at 10 pm. Read the dew factor explained for the method.

4. Cold, fog and early sunsets

North Indian winters are cold, and fog is common in December and January across the Gangetic plain and Punjab. In day Tests, short winter days and bad light can cut playing time; in night games, mist adds moisture to the outfield. See the monthly data on our pages for Mohali, Lucknow and Kanpur.

5. Heat

In hot, dry conditions, pitches tend to dry out and crack faster, which helps spinners later in a match and can bring reverse swing for seamers once the ball is scuffed. Batters tire over long innings, which matters most in Tests.

6. Coastal venues

Grounds near the sea, such as Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, usually have humid evenings. A sea breeze can help swing bowlers, but treat this as a tendency to watch for, not a rule.

Rain-threatened match checklist

1. Check the hourly forecast for the match window, not just the day.
2. If the start is delayed, confirm the reduced overs after the toss.
3. Prefer early-involvement players: openers, number three, new-ball bowlers.
4. Avoid finishers and part-time bowlers unless the match is full length.
5. Read your game's rules on abandoned and reduced matches before you commit.