IND vs ENG: Why will India be knocked out if rain washes out T20 World Cup semi-final?

NEW DELHI: The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has reached the semi-final stage, with India set to face England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, while South Africa take on New Zealand in Kolkata.

So far, the weather forecast looks clear, but fans are still worried because two matches earlier in the tournament were washed out due to rain.

To avoid chaos, the ICC has kept a reserve day for both semi-finals.



If rain stops play on the scheduled day, the match will continue or be replayed the next day.

There is also extra time available, 90 minutes on the main day and 120 minutes on the reserve day. In the final, both days get 120 minutes of extra time.

For a result to be declared, both teams must bat at least 10 overs. If that doesn’t happen, the game will resume from the same score on the reserve day.

But if the match still cannot be completed even after the reserve day, then the team that finished higher in the Super 8 stage will qualify for the final.

This is where it gets tricky for India.

India finished second in their Super 8 group, while England topped their group by winning all three matches.

So if the India vs England semi-final is completely washed out, England will go through to the final.

In the other semi-final, South Africa finished above New Zealand in their group.

So if that match is abandoned, South Africa will move to the final. The final is scheduled for March 8 in Ahmedabad, with March 9 as the reserve day. Now, fans will be hoping rain stays away from these crucial games.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.