Bengaluru, Oct 17 (IANS) Persistent rain has led to the toss being delayed in the fifth and final T20I between India and the West Indies at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

The covers remained firmly in place as the scheduled 6.30 pm toss time approached, and match officials soon confirmed the delay. The drizzle grew heavier shortly after and threatens to cause a washout in the venue staging its first international game in two years.

“The toss has been delayed for the fifth and final T20I between the West Indies & India in Bengaluru due to rain,” said an update from Cricket West Indies (CWI). Both teams had reached the ground as per the usual scheduled, but have been forced to stay off the field without beginning their warm-ups, and are instead seated in the dressing rooms.

The stands were about half full, with the DJ keeping the fans entertained. The city has been lashed by showers over the past few days with the North-East monsoon setting in, and more rain is forecasted for the night.

But the stadium’s much-vaunted SubAir drainage system, which helped rescue the India-New Zealand Test in October 2024, offers hope of a quick resumption once the rain relents.

The game also marks Bengaluru’s return to the international cricket calendar after a long hiatus. The venue had been sidelined since the deadly stampede in June 2025 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title celebrations, which led to 11 people losing their lives.

There is plenty riding on the contest, with the series currently locked at 2-2. India, the current Men’s T20 World Cup holders, would be keen to avoid a second successive bilateral series defeat to the West Indies, after having lost 2-3 to them away from home in August 2023.

Skipper Shai Hope has spearheaded the visitors batting by topping the run charts with 261 runs, including two hundreds coming in victories. India, on the other hand, have relied on a collective batting effort. But the returns have been uneven, with the batters blowing hot and cold through the first four games.

Should the weather clear, a run-fest could well be on the cards, as has been the case in the series. For now, though, all eyes remain on the skies, with the ground staff ready to remove the covers and the home crowd hoping the evening will still deliver a fitting finale to a closely fought series and a homecoming Bengaluru has long awaited.

–IANS

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