India will play England in the first semifinal
After an entertaining two weeks of battle down under, four teams - India, England, Australia and South Africa - have reached the semifinal which will be played on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. But the double-header semifinal day could be affected by Sydney's weather as Australia's Bureau of Meteorology forecast reveals that there are chances of rain along with thunderstorm throughout the matchday in Sydney. In fact, the last two group matches, both played in Sydney, were washed out.
Amid this concern, Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts on Wednesday revealed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) turned down their request to have a reserve day for the semifinal matches where India will play England in a repeat of their 2018 clash in the first game while defending champions Australia will face South Africa.
"We've asked the question (on a reserve day)," Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts was quoted as saying on the radio station 'SEN'.
"It's not part of the playing conditions and we respect that. We're optimistic based on the drainage at the SCG combined with a weather forecast that is not perfect but not terrible either," he added.
So, here are some of the key questions on the semifinal matches...
What is the minimum number of overs for the India vs England semifinal match to counted official?
In a normal scenario, five-overs a side can be counted as a T20 match, but in ICC tournaments, each side has to bowl 10 overs. This implies that each semifinal match will have 30 minutes of spare time before they start losing overs.
What will happen if India vs England semifinal match is washed out?
In case of a semifinal washout, the team finishing beat in their respective groups will progress to the final. This implies, India, who finished atop in Group A with four out of four wins, will head to the final ahead of England. And being despite of England's supremacy (5-0 win-loss record) against India in World T20. Similarly, in the second game, South Africa, who finished top of Group B with seven points, will head to the final ahead of the defending champions. Ironically, even Australia hold an edge (4-0 win-loss record) against South Africa in World T20.
Is there a reserve day for the final?
Fortunately yes. The match, scheduled to be played in Melbourne on Sunday, will then be played on Monday. Although, the forecast for Melbourne on Sunday looks good.
