T20 World Cup 2024: India Likely To Clash With England In Semi-Finals

India's journey in the T20 World Cup 2024 has been impressive, with the team already securing a spot in the semi-finals. The upcoming match against Australia will determine if they can finish at the top of Super 8 Group 1 points table.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that India will play the second semi-final in Guyana, provided they qualify for the knockout round. All of India's matches in the West Indies are scheduled during the day to accommodate Indian fans who can watch them in the evening.

The second semi-final is set to commence at 10:30 AM in Guyana (8:00 PM IST) on Thursday, June 27. Unlike the first semi-final, which has a reserve day, the second semi-final will only have an extended 250 minutes to complete the game on the same day if rain interrupts play.

It is highly probable that India will face defending champions England in their semi-final match. According to ICC playing conditions, the table-topper of one group will compete against the second-placed team from the other group in the Super 8 round.

England have secured second place behind South Africa in Super 8 Group 2. India are expected to top Group 1 points table. The Men in Blue currently have four points from two matches and hold the best Net Run Rate (NRR) in their group ahead of their last Super 8 match against Australia on Monday, June 24.

India's NRR stands at +2.425, while Australia trails with two points from two matches and an NRR of +0.223. For Australia to surpass India's NRR, they would need to defeat India by at least 41 runs. Afghanistan would need to beat Bangladesh by 81 runs to surpass India's NRR.

Both scenarios seem unlikely, positioning India to finish as Group 1 table-toppers even if they lose against Australia. The second-placed team in Group 1 will face South Africa in semi-final one in Trinidad on Thursday, June 27 (6:00 AM).