Play on the Reserve Day resumes from the last ball bowled on the scheduled day without any reduction in overs. If the toss occurs on the original match day and no play follows, the result of the toss and the playing lineups are carried forward to the next day.

As is the case in international cricket, a reserve day in IPL is used to get a conclusion for a crucial knockout match that couldn’t be held or finished on the scheduled date. In such cases, the match is rescheduled for another day to ensure a definite result.

To produce a result, a minimum of 20 overs per side is required. If this threshold cannot be met, the match will be shifted to the reserve day. During the reserve day, the match will resume from the point of interruption without starting afresh, following the reserve day rules.

An instance of this is seen in cricket with the IPL 2023 final between CSK and GT. Originally set for 28 May, Sunday, the match was postponed to the reserve day on 29 May, Monday, due to a washout.

IPL 2023 Final Reserve Day

The final of IPL 2023, initially scheduled for May 28, faced rain interruptions, leading to a rescheduled match between table-toppers Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings on May 29, which served as the reserve day, in Ahmedabad.

If rain persisted and the reserve day also got washed out, Gujarat Titans would have been declared the winners due to their higher standing on the points table at the end of the league stage, as outlined in the IPL Playing Conditions from the previous year.

However, before arriving at such a conclusion, several scenarios were to be considered. The cut-off time for a full match to commence was 9.35 pm IST before any overs were lost due to rain.

In case conditions improved, a five-overs-a-side game could start as late as 12.06 am IST. Alternatively, a Super Over could have been conducted between the two teams, with the latest start time being 1.20 am IST. Failing these possibilities, the victory would have been awarded to Gujarat Titans.

Pre-empting rain during the final match, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) had even published guidelines for the visitors who had bought tickets for the final, which stated the following:

“Firstly, all the fans will have to carry the tickets that they had purchased for Sunday to watch the game on Monday as well. If their tickets are torn or damaged, the spectators will have to carry all the torn or damaged pieces of the same as well. Provided that the torn pieces aren’t recovered by the fans, the tickets should at least contain all the necessary information. People whose tickets do not have any torn pieces or sufficient details will be barred from entering the stadium for the summit clash on Monday.”

IPL 2014 Playoff Reserve Day

The last instance of an IPL knockout game being moved to the reserve day occurred in 2014 during Qualifier 1 between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Rain in Kolkata prevented the match's completion on the scheduled day, leading to a shift to the following day. This match notably took place at 4 pm IST, marking the sole afternoon clash for an IPL knockout match.

The criteria for a reserve day back then were similar, if not identical. A reserve day was used if rain washed out a knockout match or if at least 10 overs per side could not be completed during the semi-finals or finals.

In a rain-affected match, the team batting second had to face a minimum of five overs for a result to be possible. During the playoffs, there were 120 minutes of extra time allowed to complete a rain-affected match.

If one innings was completed but no play was possible in the second, the DLS method was used to determine the winners. If ground conditions remained unplayable, the league standings were used to identify the winners.

When did the first reserve day in cricket take place?

One of the first examples of the reserve day in cricket was during the 1979 World Cup, between Sri Lanka and India.

In the 1979 ICC Trophy, Sri Lanka emerged as the champions, earning them qualification for the cricket World Cup. This was their second appearance in the World Cup, having lost all their league matches in the 1975 edition.

Reserve Day forces India & Sri Lanka to share 2002 Champions Trophy

The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy final was held on September 29 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium between India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka scored 244/5, with notable performances from Jayasuriya (74) and Sangakkara (54). Harbhajan Singh took three wickets for India. The match was interrupted by rain with India at 14/0 after two overs and was eventually abandoned.

A fresh match started on September 30. Sri Lanka scored 222/7, with Jayawardene (77) and Arnold (56) leading. Zaheer Khan took 3/44 for India. India was at 38/1 in 8.4 overs when rain stopped play again, resulting in another abandonment. India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners.

2019 World Cup semifinal, India v New Zealand: Reserve Day

The 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand at Old Trafford in Manchester utilized the reserve day due to rain. New Zealand chose to bat first and reached 239/8, with Taylor scoring 74. India struggled in their chase, losing early wickets, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul for just 1 run each. Despite efforts from Jadeja (77) and Dhoni (50), India fell short, bowled out for 221, giving New Zealand an 18-run victory.