A Reserve Day is an extra day kept aside by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to complete an important match if bad weather or other interruptions stop play on the scheduled day. It is mainly used for knockout matches such as semi-finals and finals, where a winner must be decided.
Unlike league-stage matches, which can end as No Result, Reserve Days help ICC tournaments produce a fair winner when rain affects crucial matches. The match normally continues from where it stopped rather than starting again.
How Does a Reserve Day Work?
| Step | What Happens? |
|---|---|
| Match begins | Play starts on the scheduled day. |
| Rain interrupts play | Umpires first try to finish the match the same day by reducing overs if needed. |
| No result possible | The match moves to the Reserve Day. |
| Match resumes | Play continues from the exact score where it stopped. |
| If no play happened | A fresh full match starts on the Reserve Day (weather permitting). |
| Still no result | Special tournament rules decide the outcome depending on the event. |
ICC Tournament-Wise Reserve Day Rules
| ICC Tournament | Group Stage | Semi-finals | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Cricket World Cup | No | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Champions Trophy | No | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Men’s T20 World Cup | No | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Women’s ODI World Cup | No | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Women’s T20 World Cup | No | Yes | Yes |
| ICC World Test Championship Final | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Yes (6th Day) |
ICC Cricket World Cup
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Group-stage matches do not have Reserve Days.
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Semi-finals and the final have one Reserve Day.
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If rain stops play, the match resumes from the same score on the Reserve Day.
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If a semi-final still cannot be completed, the higher-ranked league-stage team advances.
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If the final cannot produce a result, tournament rules decide the outcome based on that edition’s playing conditions.
ICC Champions Trophy
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Only the semi-finals and final have Reserve Days.
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Umpires first try to complete the game on the scheduled day.
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If that is impossible, the match continues on the Reserve Day.
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The minimum overs required before using the Reserve Day are defined in the tournament playing conditions.
ICC Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cup
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League matches have no Reserve Day.
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Semi-finals and the final include one Reserve Day.
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The ICC also provides extra playing time before moving to the Reserve Day.
ICC World Test Championship Final
This event follows a different system.
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The match is scheduled for five days.
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A sixth day is kept as the Reserve Day.
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It is used only to make up for playing time lost because of bad weather.
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It is not used simply because the match ends in a draw after five full days.
Famous ICC Matches Where the Reserve Day Was Used
| Year | Tournament | Match | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Cricket World Cup | India vs New Zealand Semi-final | Rain stopped play on Day 1. The match resumed on the Reserve Day, and New Zealand reached the final. |
| 2021 | World Test Championship Final | India vs New Zealand | The sixth day was used after rain affected the first five days. New Zealand won the title. |