If India advances to the knockout stage of the ICC T20 World Cup, they are slated to contest the second semifinal on June 27 in Providence, Guyana, as revealed by ESPNCricinfo. The decision to assign India the Guyana semifinal likely revolves around scheduling logistics, as the first semifinal in Tarouba, Trinidad, is a night match on June 26 at 8:30 PM local time. Conversely, the Guyana semifinal will commence at 10:30 AM local time, translating to a prime-time slot of 8 PM in Indian Standard Time.
The final, scheduled for June 29 in Bridgetown, Barbados, will kick off at 10 AM local time, corresponding to 7:30 PM in India, according to ESPNCricinfo. Notably, there is no reserve day allocated for the second semifinal. However, the match will receive an additional 250 minutes of playing time compared to the 190 minutes allocated for the first semifinal and final, both of which have reserve days.
The decision to extend the duration of the second semifinal stems from the absence of reserve days in the tournament schedule. Allocating a reserve day for the second semifinal would have resulted in only one day’s rest and practice time between that match and the final. Therefore, any implications of persistent rain during the second semifinal can only be determined if both teams bat for a minimum of 10 overs.
In line with standard T20 regulations, teams batting second must complete at least five overs to reach a result. However, in knockout matches such as those in the ICC T20 World Cup, teams batting second must face a minimum of 10 overs to determine a result, following the Duckworth-Lewis method. This rule was also in effect during the knockout matches of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
India finds itself in Group A of the ICC tournament alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA. India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by a high-profile encounter against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. Subsequently, India will face off against the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15, respectively.
The Indian squad features Rohit Sharma as captain, with Hardik Pandya as vice-captain. Notable players include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant, among others, with reserves comprising Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan.