Rain and ICC competitions have a long history together, with the weather gods frequently changing the outcome of tournaments.

One of the more surprising tournaments in recent years has been the T20 World Cup which is now being played in Australia. The 2022 T20 World Cup has been a thrilling sight for both live spectators and online viewers thanks to last-ball thrills, favorites losing, associate nations pulling off upsets, and more.

Read More: Rain plays spoilsport as Proteas lose points against Zimbabwe

The weather, though, is the one element that has gradually taken center stage. Nearly every other game has been impacted by rain or threatens to be impacted by rain, with South Africa and England suffering the most.

We examine five other cases where rain affected the outcome of a World Cup.

1) England versus South Africa in the 1992 ODI World Cup semifinal

South Africa is prominently represented in the whole list of games that were impacted by rain, and it has suffered the most. The Proteas were eliminated in the most peculiar circumstances during the 1992 ODI World Cup semifinal. Cricket matches were governed by antiquated rules that placed a high priority on the timing at that time because the DLS system hadn’t yet been developed.

When the skies forced a 10-minute break in play, the Proteas still had 22 runs to score off the final three balls to win. The umpires had taken away two overs (12 balls) to make up for the lost time as soon as the players returned to the field, but they had left the target unchanged.

South Africa, therefore, returned to the field to bat for what ended up being the game’s final ball, still needing 22 runs to prevail. What should have been a thrilling semifinal final came to a terrible conclusion.

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2) The India vs. Sri Lanka Champions Trophy final from 2002

The final between the host nation Sri Lanka and India ended up being one of the most unusual finals ever. Due to the persistent rain, the final was played twice in just two days. Sri Lanka batted first on September 29, 2002, and gave India a 245-point victory goal. India batted first and advanced to 14/0 in just two overs when torrential rain ended any hope of a victory.

The game was once more played on the reserve day, with the host batting first for the second time. Sri Lanka scored 222/7 this time. India started batting, however, they only managed to score 38/1 after eight overs due to the weather again being unrelenting. Sanath Jayasuriya and Sourav Ganguly, the captains, had to split the trophy because there was no prospect for a natural outcome.

3) Australia at the 2017 ODI Champions Trophy

When rain forced Australia out of the 2017 Champions Trophy, it was their turn to experience the unpredictable British weather. The Group A favorite exited the first round after its first two matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh were postponed due to inclement weather, and its third and final match against the host nation of England.

Australia would have been particularly hurt by the Bangladesh game because it was chasing a fairly modest 183 to win and was cruising at 83/1 after 16 overs when rain forced play to be suspended and the game to be abandoned. Australia had to take a plane home empty-handed even though they placed second, only one point behind Bangladesh.

4) Sri Lanka vs. South Africa in the 2003 ODI World Cup

For the second time in a World Cup, the weather caused South Africa to lose, and this time it happened in its own backyard.

By the slimmest of margins, the Proteas were eliminated, and they only had themselves to blame. The host nation had to secure a position in the Super Sixes while chasing 269 to win at Kingsmead, Durban. Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith, South Africa’s opening pair, got things going well, but the host team was aware that it needed to keep a watch on the D/L par scores because of the impending clouds.

Before the captain’s dismissal, Shaun Pollock and Mark Boucher restored the innings following a brief collapse caused by the loss of the top order. Even so, South Africa reached the par score for the 45th over with that six, which was 229, as Boucher stepped out to Muthiah Muralidharan with 46 required off 32 deliveries.

In contrast, to win a chase, the batting team must score one more than the required score. Moreover, believing he had finished the task, Boucher fended the ball to mid-wicket for a dot when Murali bowled the final ball of the 45th over as the drizzle intensified. Boucher and his companions started dancing as the rain got worse.

Those celebrations were way overdue because South Africa had made a critical error in judgment by failing to reach the revised target by the conclusion of the 45th over. Shaun Pollock, the captain, could only watch from the dressing room in anguish and disbelief as South Africa was eliminated from the World Cup due to their own fault since the rain did not let up.

Read More: Spinners, Mendis shine as Lanka thrash Ireland by 9 wickets

5) Pakistan vs. England at the 1992 ODI World Cup

Rain fell during the group stage, which was a vital point in the match for the 1992 World Cup champion. In a vital match, the rain prevented England from chasing Pakistan’s modest goal, saving Imran Khan’s team.

Pakistan was on the verge of losing after being dismissed for 74 in the first innings as England was comfortably ahead at 24/1 after eight overs. However, the event was called off due to severe weather in Adelaide, with the winnings being split between the two teams.

With this victory, Pakistan was able to overtake Australia and move up to fourth place in the standings, earning a spot in the final semifinal. The team led by Imran Khan profited on their good fortune and won the World Cup.