India captain Rohit Sharma is set to lead his team in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal against England. The match is a repeat of the 2022 semifinal in which England beat India by 10 wickets before eventually winning the title itself by beating Pakistan in the final. India go into the match as one of just two teams to remain unbeaten, the other being South Africa who face Afghanistan in the semifinal that will be played earlier in the day.
It is to be noted that there would be no reserve day for the semifinal clash between India and England, which will be played at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana. Rains lashed the city on the eve of the match. There is a reserve day for the first semifinal between South Africa and Afghanistan in Trinidad as the match is happening on July 26 while India’s game is happening on the morning next day, according to local time. Rohit said that he hopes there would be a full match but India are ready to adapt according to the conditions.
“The overhead conditions is in nobody’s control, you don’t know what is going to happen. The only thing I am worried is if the game goes on till pretty late we have a chartered flight and we might miss that,” said Rohit in a press conference on the eve of the match.
“But that is ok, it is the ICC and Cricket West Indies’ headache to get us to the next venue. We will focus on how we can play this game well and get the result in our favour. Two good cricket teams are going to play so it’s going to be a great game,” he said.
No advantage in knowing the venue in advance, says Rohit
Rohit also rubbished claims that India had an unfair advantage due to the fact that they always knew they would be playing in Guyana if they reached the semifinals. The Indian captain said that England would also know the conditions in the West Indian nation as much as the Indian players.
“I don’t think it is an advantage. A lot of these players have played in different types of venues. I am sure a lot of English cricketers have played here. So I don’t see it as an advantage, at the end of the day, you have to play good cricket to win. That is how I look at it,” he said.
