After playing a major hand in knocking out Australia out of T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma’s India will have a chance to avenge their defeat in the last edition’s semifinal against defending champions England. The two teams will lock horns on June 27 at Providence Stadium, Guyana in the second semifinal.
No reserve day, but 250 minutes extra to complete the semifinal
While the first semifinal between South Africa and Afghanistan at Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad on June 26 has a reserve day, the second semifinal doesn’t. Instead, a total of 250 minutes of extra time is allotted if rain interrupts play.
The second semifinal was shifted to Guyana because the Providence Stadium has the best drainage system among all stadiums on Caribbean islands.
No five-over game to decide which team progresses to the final
However, the playing conditions for the first and second semifinal are different. The second semifinal cannot be decided in a minimum five overs per side. A minimum of 10 overs per side game needs to happen to decide the second finalist of the T20 World Cup 2024.
What if semifinal gets washed out?
In case the semifinal is washed out due to rain, an unbeaten Indian side will advance to the final. Jos Buttler’s England won’t make it to the final as they finished second on the Group 2 points table with two wins from three games as opposed to India’s three wins on the trot.
Rain forecast on June 27
The weather forecast in Guyana does not look promising. The rain prediction is as high as 70 per cent. After rain showers in the morning, thunderstorms are expected in the region in the afternoon.
Even if the groundstaff at Guyana are able to make the conditions ready for play, they may have to bring the covers to the pitch a few times during the day’s play with multiple rain interruptions expected. Also, they will have their task cut out if puddles form on the outfield. In such a scenario, the extra four hours and 10 minutes of the time for the semifinal may come in handy.
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