The ICC's response to the situation between India and England

The ICC has clarified the rules that will determine the outcome of the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal between India and England in the event of rain, which favours India.

Unlike the first semifinal between Afghanistan and South Africa, which had a provision for a reserve day, the second semifinal between India and England does not.

The second semi-final is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM local time, and adding a reserve day would mean that the qualifying team would have no time to practise before the final, scheduled for June 29.

In contrast, the first semifinal was an evening match, making it feasible to allocate additional time immediately post-game without affecting the schedule as severely.

To accommodate potential rain delays, 250 minutes of extra time have been reserved to complete the game on the same day. This means that until 11:30 PM IST, efforts will be made to play the full 40-over match.

If the weather causes further delays beyond this period, the match will start losing overs, eventually becoming a shorter contest (20-over, 15-over, or 10-over per side).

For a result to be declared, a minimum of 10 overs per side is required. This is different from the league stage and Super Eight phase, where even a 5-over match could determine a result.

If the weather prevents even a 10-over match from being completed, the game will be abandoned.

If the match is abandoned due to rain, India will progress to the final by finishing at the top of their Super Eight group with 6 points. This rule is in place to reward teams for their performance in the earlier stages of the tournament.

If the match is abandoned due to rain, India will directly enter the final because they topped their group in the Super Eight stage.

ICC has allocated extra time on the same day to ensure as much play as possible.

The ICC decided on different rules for the semifinals based on logistical and performance-related reasons, primarily to avoid "play-travel-play" scenarios for the second semifinalists and ensure fair competition conditions.

This setup aims to balance logistical challenges with fair competition, ensuring that the tournament progresses smoothly despite weather disruptions.