Semifinal qualification scenarios for all Super 12 teams at the T20 World Cup 2022

T20 World Cup 2022

The 2022 T20 World Cup is entering towards business end with only 7 group league matches left now. The tournament has already witnessed a lot of drama, upsets and entertained the fans. However, with many teams stuck in a tricky situation in order to qualify for the next round of the event, one can expect more drama on the way.

Many thought that the big teams would crush the associate teams to make their path comfortable, which hasn’t been the case. The competition has been neck-to-neck, which has made the event even more interesting. It’s still hard to guess which four teams will be the semifinalists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhR8toNVBQc

The fate of multiple teams will rely on how strongly they manage to finish and also the results of the teams they will be racing with for the semis. To make things easier, here is a breakdown of the scenarios for each team and exactly how they can make a booking in the semis of the ongoing showpiece event.

Group 1

New Zealand

New Zealand are leading Group 1 with five points under their hat. They missed a golden opportunity to confirm their semis spot against England on Monday. A win against Ireland on Friday (November 4) will see them head into the next round, given their lofty NNR (Net Run Rate). However, a defeat would put them in a position to hope either Australia lose points against Afghanistan or England against Sri Lanka.

England

England took a massive step towards the semis when they beat New Zealand to gain two valuable points. A win against Sri Lanka will almost certain their spot. In case of a loss, NNR will come into play and fortunately, they have a great positive NNR. The Lions will have an advantage as the Kiwis and the Baggy Greens will play their last group stage match before them. So they will get the exact equations and can play accordingly.

Australia

The defending champions are in a tricky situation as they have a negative NNR, unlike their competitors New Zealand and England. A win against Sri Lanka will solidify their case for the semis, but it will still not be enough. Australia will hope that either New Zealand or England lose points. In case they both win, NNR will come into play and to overtake, Aaron Finch’s side will need to pull off a mammoth victory against the Lankans.

Ireland

Ireland are already out of the race for the semi-finals after they lost to Australia the other day. They will next lock horns against a motivated New Zealand side. The Irish team will be eager to showcase their best cricket on Friday (November 4) and finish the tournament on a high note.

Sri Lanka

Although it seems very tough, mathematically they are still in the scheme of things for the next round. They must win their next game against England and also hope that either Ireland beat New Zealand or Afghanistan pulls out an upset against England. They will get to know the results before their game.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan have been unlucky in this event as their two games were called off due to rain and they lost the other two games. They are one of the two officially eliminated teams. They will next play against home side Australia, who will be willing to put everything to win the battle.

Group 2

India

Team India sealed a thrilling victory against Bangladesh on Wednesday to avoid any last-day drama. They lead their group with six points. A victory against Zimbabwe on Sunday (November 6) would make them unmatchable. However, even if they lose, they will still qualify on the basis of NNR.

South Africa

South Africa have been a dangerous side in the ongoing event so far. They are in second position and have two games left against Pakistan and the Netherlands. Even one win out of two contests will confirm their booking for the semifinals. If they lose both, Bangladesh will still need to beat Pakistan.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh suffered a heart break when they lost to the Men in Blue from a solid position. A win against Team India would have turned the tables. But as things stand, they will play a must-win battle against Pakistan. Even just a win won’t be enough for them to qualify, as South Africa should lose both of their remaining games.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe handed Pakistan a major upset in the early phase of the tournament when they beat them by 1 run in a last ball drama. Even if it appears mathematically, they are very unlikely to head into the next round. They will next lock horns against India on Sunday and will want to repeat what they did against Pakistan.

Pakistan

Pakistan have failed to live up to the expectations as they stand in fifth position. However, they still have hope for the semis. To do that, they will have to win both of their remaining games against South Africa and Bangladesh. And also hope the Netherlands to beat South Africa.

Netherlands

Netherlands are officially eliminated from the event and are at the bottom of the table with just one win in four games. They will next play against the mighty South Africans in their last group stage match. They will want to showcase their best game on that day and try to hand an upset to the Proteas.