The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finalists have been decided. From Group 1, India and first-time semi-finalists Afghanistan have qualified. South Africa and England will represent Group 2. Afghanistan will face South Africa in their first T20 World Cup semi-final appearance in Trinidad, with the match kicking off at 6 am IST on June 27, Thursday. Later that same day, India will clash with the reigning champions, England, in Guyana at 8 pm IST. This match serves as a rematch of the previous edition's semi-final, where England secured a dominant 10-wicket win. As the tournament progresses to the knockout phase, attention is increasingly focused on the specific rules governing the semi-finals and finals. Regarding the Afghanistan vs South Africa match, yes, there is a reserve day in place. This will be utilised if the game cannot be completed on the initial date, despite any reduction in overs. The schedule allows for an additional 60 minutes of play on the original day and a further 190 minutes on the reserve day.
Will the match restart on the reserve day?
No, it will resume from where it left off. The match officially begins with the coin toss and the announcement of the teams. If the toss is conducted on the scheduled day but no play follows, the result of the toss and the lineup of teams will be carried over to the reserve day. For the Afghanistan vs South Africa semi-final, efforts will be made to finish the game on the original scheduled day, including reducing overs as needed. The reserve day will only come into play if the minimum number of overs required for an official match cannot be bowled on the initial day. If the match begins on the scheduled day and is interrupted, leading to a reduction in overs, and no further play is possible, those reduced overs will not be restored on the reserve day.
What happens if the Afghanistan vs South Africa semi-final can't conclude on the reserve day?
South Africa will progress to the final based on their superior position in the Super Eight stage.
How do the playing conditions differ for the India vs England semi-final? Is there a reserve day?
No, there is no reserve day for the second semi-final between India and England. The same total of 250 minutes of extra time allocated to complete a match applies, but since there is no reserve day, all 250 minutes are available on the originally scheduled day.
Why is there no reserve day for the India vs England semi-final?
Notably, June 28 is designated as a travel day for the finalists, with the final happening on June 29 in Barbados. This creates a scheduling wrinkle. If the South Africa versus Afghanistan semi-final (scheduled as a day-night match on June 27th) gets rained out and needs to be completed on the reserve day (also June 27), it potentially clashes with the second semi-final between India and England.
To avoid this clash, the organisers prioritise finishing both matches on their designated days. They can achieve this by reducing the number of overs in each innings during the South Africa vs. Afghanistan match if rain disrupts play. The second semi-final between India and England, scheduled as a day match on June 27th, has a longer timeframe allocated compared to the first semi-final. This allows almost four additional hours for the India vs. England match to be completed on the same day, even if there are rain interruptions. In short, the reserve day is meant to ensure a complete first semi-final, but the travel day for finalists creates a scheduling challenge. Organisers will try to finish both semi-finals on their designated days by potentially reducing overs in the first match and allocating extra time for the second.
What happens if the India vs England semi-final can't be completed on the scheduled day?
Should there be a no-result situation, like the first semi-final, the team that ranked higher in their group will advance. In this case, India would move on to the finals as they topped Group 1.
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