With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand set to take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, fans and teams are also bracing for possible weather disruptions amid concerns about rain — and what would happen if the match were washed out entirely.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has put in place specific reserve day protocols for the knockout stages to minimise the impact of weather. For the first semi‑final, scheduled on March 4, an additional 90 minutes of playing time has been allotted on the original day, and a designated reserve day on March 5 is reserved for any unfinished action. Matches will resume from the point they were stopped if play is interrupted.
Under ICC regulations, both semifinal matches and the final have designated reserve days to ensure rain‑affected encounters can be completed on the field wherever possible. If a match is curtailed or delayed on the scheduled day, officials will first use the extra time before considering the reserve day continuation.
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However, if rain prevents any play on both the scheduled day and the reserve day, there are clear rules on progression. In such a rare full‑washout scenario, there would be no bowl‑out or coin toss to decide the result. Instead, the team that finished higher in the Super 8 stage standings will automatically advance to the final.
As it stands, South Africa topped Super 8 Group 1, while New Zealand qualified from Group 2 behind the leaders on points. Therefore, if the semi‑final cannot be completed across both days due to weather, South Africa would progress to the T20 World Cup final by virtue of their superior Super 8 ranking.
Fans, players and broadcasters will be watching the skies closely, but the ICC’s reserve‑day framework aims to minimise the chances that the semifinal outcome is determined off the field rather than by play.
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