Cricket remains the most popular sport in India and the country's national team continues to break and create new records on a regular basis. Having said that, there have been numerous instances when a cricket match has been called off because of rain. It is to no one's surprise that cricket is one such sport that can't be played when the skies open up. Along the same lines, for every important cricket match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allocates an additional day, in case the match gets affected due to rain on the scheduled day. While cricket can't be played in the rain, there are numerous other sports that are played despite the rain.
Why can't cricket be played in rain?
Cricket can't be played in the rain because firstly, it becomes extremely difficult to sight the ball. The ball becomes heavy and soggy. Secondly, due to rain, puddles are formed on the pitch and the ground which increases the chance of players getting injured severely. Not only this, if the rain is heavy then the outfield becomes wet, which takes a lot of time to dry. This is the reason behind many cricket matches getting called off due to rain. Whereas, an extra day is also reserved for big/knock-out matches of an ICC tournament.
No effect on football
One of the most popular sports in the world -football - continues uninterrupted in the midst of rain. There have been numerous occasions when a football game has been played under heavy rainfall and even snowfall at times. If a game of football is underway and the skies open up during the course of the match, then the contest goes on without any interruption, as long as the pitch is conducive enough for the players.
Hockey
Apart from football, rain does not have much of an effect on outdoor hockey as well because modern hockey is played on synthetic turf. In such a situation, if it rains during the course of a hockey match, the players continue to play the game rather than walking back to the dugout. However, if it rains heavily, then the match is stopped. The decision is often taken by the referees. But in this, the condition of the turf does not change drastically due to rain. In hockey, India won the bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after 40 years.
Rugby
Just like football, rugby remains uninterrupted by rain. Not a lot of countries play rugby at the highest level like they play football, but the sport's fanbase is as vibrant as any other fanbase in the world. Even amidst rain, thousands of fans remain rooted to their seat in the stands to enjoy the action.
Formula 1
Other than football, hockey and rugby, Formula 1 and MotoGP racing also remain uninterrupted when the skies open up. In 1950, the first-ever Formula 1 race took place at Silverstone in England. Since then, the excitement of Formula 1 racing has engulfed the hearts of millions of fans all over the world. What makes Formula 1 interesting is that when it rains, the race becomes more technical, tricky and challenging for the drivers and their teams. Having said that, if it rains heavily, then the race is stopped for some time.
Apart from the aforementioned sports, all indoor sports can be played amidst the rain.
