ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has entered its decisive final week, with just three matches left to crown the new champions of T20 cricket. The title race is now down to four teams – South Africa, England, India, and New Zealand.
The first semi-final will see South Africa take on New Zealand in Kolkata on March 4. The second semi-final, scheduled for March 5, will feature India against England. Ahead of these important clashes, here’s a look at three key ICC rules fans and teams should be aware of.
10 Overs Minimum Required
In a standard T20 International, a minimum of five overs per side is required to produce a result. However, for knockout matches in major tournaments like the World Cup semi-finals, the minimum has been increased to 10 overs per team.
This ensures a fairer contest in case of rain interruptions. If weather disrupts a semi-final, both sides must bat for at least 10 overs each for the match to constitute a result.
Reserve Day for Semi-Finals
ICC has allocated reserve days for both semi-finals and the final. If a minimum of 10 overs per side cannot be completed on the scheduled day, the match will move to the reserve day. Importantly, play will resume from the exact point at which it was halted.
South Africa vs New Zealand semi-final on March 4 has March 5 as its reserve day. Similarly, India vs England clash on March 5 will have March 6 set aside as the backup day.
What If semifinal match is washed out even on Reserve Day?
If play is not possible even on the reserve day, the team that finished higher in the group stage standings will automatically qualify for the final, as per ICC regulations.
While such scenarios are rare, unpredictable weather remains a concern. With the semi-finals scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai – cities known for sudden weather changes – rain could yet play a decisive role in determining the finalists.
