With the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches scheduled to take place in Dharamshala on May 17th and 19th, officials of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the matches are not affected by the unseasonal rains that have been lashing the region. In an effort to ward off rain, HPCA officials will be visiting the temple of Indrunag Devta at Khaniyara on May 7th to offer their prayers.
Indrunag is considered the god of rain and locals believe that offering prayers to the deity before any big event ensures that it does not rain. The HPCA officials will also perform a Bhandara and Kanya Pujan at the temple. This is not the first time that the HPCA officials have turned to Indrunag for help. In February, they had visited the temple to offer their prayers ahead of the cricket season.
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The IPL matches in Dharamshala are crucial for all the teams as they will be played in the last phase of the league and could be a make-or-break situation for many. The concern of the audience is also increasing as tickets for both matches have been sold out. The weather department has predicted clear weather in the coming days, but the continuous rains have disrupted many matches played in Dharamshala in the past.
In 2019 and 2020, two international matches scheduled to be played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala were washed out due to rain. Cricket lovers were disappointed when not a single ball could be played during the T20 match between South Africa and India on 15 September 2019. The rain also played spoilsport during the India-South Africa One Day International match on March 12, 2020.
The HPCA officials hope their prayers to Indrunag will be heard and the matches will not be affected by the rain. With both the teams and the audience eagerly waiting for the matches, let us hope that the weather gods are kind to us and the matches are played without any interruptions.
