On June 27, South Africa will face Afghanistan in the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Both teams are eager to secure a spot in the finals. This match marks South Africa’s third semifinal appearance in the T20 World Cup. They have remained undefeated in the tournament, clinching their semifinal spot with a three-wicket victory over the West Indies (via the DLS method).
Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan also made history by reaching the knockout stage of an ICC event for the first time, following a thrilling eight-run win over Bangladesh. Despite losing their first Super 8 game to India, Afghanistan rebounded impressively, defeating Australia and Bangladesh in their subsequent matches.
However, the threat of rain looms over this high-stakes clash. If rain forces the match to be abandoned, ICC Playing Conditions for the T20 World Cup 2024 state that South Africa will advance to the final. They secured this advantage by topping Group 2, winning all three of their Super 8 matches. The weather forecast suggests a lower chance of rain in the evening, raising hopes for an uninterrupted match.
The organizers have set a reserve day for the first semifinal, allowing an additional 60 minutes of play at the end of the scheduled time and another 190 minutes starting at 2:00 PM on June 28. If needed, the match will extend into the reserve day to ensure a fair outcome.
