The schedule for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup has been revised midway through the tournament, with the organisers providing new clarifications regarding semi-final venues. Co-hosts Sri Lanka now have the possibility of playing a semi-final on home soil, though this is contingent on both their own performance and the results of Pakistan’s matches.
Following the conclusion of the Super 8 stage, participants received a communication clarifying the semi-final arrangements. The first semi-final has been designated as “floating,” meaning it could be held either in Colombo or Kolkata depending on which teams advance.
The ICC’s updated instructions specify the following scenarios:
| Scenario | Semi-Final 1 Venue | Semi-Final 2 Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan reaches semi-final | Colombo | Mumbai |
| Pakistan fails, Sri Lanka reaches, opponent ≠ India | Colombo | Mumbai |
| Pakistan & Sri Lanka both fail | Kolkata | Mumbai |
| India reaches semi-final (opponent ≠ Pakistan) | Mumbai | Kolkata |
| India vs Pakistan semi-final | Colombo | Mumbai |
| India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka all fail; Super 8 Group 1 Champion vs Group 2 Runner-up | Kolkata | Mumbai |
According to the ICC, if Pakistan reaches the semi-finals, they will play Semi-Final 1 in Colombo on 4 March. Should Pakistan fail to make the last four but Sri Lanka advances, and their opponent is not India, the match will still take place in Colombo.
If neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka qualifies for the semi-finals, Semi-Final 1 will shift to Kolkata, with Semi-Final 2 staged in Mumbai.
India, if they advance, will play in Mumbai regardless of their opponent (excluding Pakistan). However, in a potential India-Pakistan semi-final, the match will be held in Colombo.
For all other permutations where India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka fail to qualify, the Group 1 champion faces the Group 2 runner-up in Kolkata, while the Group 2 champion meets the Group 1 runner-up in Mumbai.
A noteworthy detail is that both Sri Lanka and Pakistan belong to Super 8 Group 2, which means they cannot face each other in a semi-final.
When the schedule was originally announced in November, Colombo was provisionally designated as the venue for any Pakistan semi-final or final. However, clarity regarding Sri Lanka’s potential knockout scenarios was absent. The ICC’s latest clarification resolves that uncertainty.
In summary, the pathway is now clear for Sri Lanka: if they reach the semi-finals and avoid facing India, they are likely to play on home soil. Nevertheless, the final arrangements remain dependent on the outcomes of the Super 8 stage.