T20 World Cup semi-finals: India vs England, Afghanistan vs South Africa

June 25: After a dramatic end to the Super Eight stage, with Afghanistan winning a thriller against Bangladesh in St Vincent to knock out Australia, the four semi-finalists of the T20 World Cup 2024 have been confirmed: Group 2 toppers South Africa will take on Afghanistan in the first semi-final, while Group 1 leaders India will face England in the second semi-final.

The first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan will start at 8.30 pm local time on Wednesday, June 26, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The second semi-final between India and England will be at 10.30 am Thursday morning, June 27 (local time) at Guyana's Providence Stadium.

India had been allotted the second semi-final in Guyana well before the tournament started, irrespective of their Super Eight finish. That match will start at 8 pm in India on June 27.

The playing conditions for the two semi-finals, though, are different. The second semi-final, featuring India and England, will not have a reserve day because of a single day's gap between that match and the final.

However, a total of 250 minutes of additional time is available for each semi-final. The first semi-final will have an extra 60 minutes at the end of the day's play and a further 190 minutes on the reserve day, starting from 2 pm local time. The second semi-final will have the entire 250 minutes available on the scheduled day since it doesn't have a reserve day.

Additionally, for a game to be constituted as complete in the semi-finals and final, both teams should bat a minimum of 10 overs per inning, as opposed to five overs per inning in the rest of the tournament. This could be significant as rain has been forecast at both venues, and the playing conditions state that in case of a washout, the team that finishes higher in their respective Super Eight groups (India and South Africa, in this case) will proceed. In case the final is abandoned because of poor weather, the two finalists will be declared joint winners. (ESPNcricinfo)