The 24-match group stage of the Under-19 World Cup came to an end with India and Australia finishing with wins in their respective matches against the USA and Sri Lanka respectively. India with a spotless record finished at the top of the table in Group A and the USA with not a single point was the only team to be eliminated. The top three teams from each of the four groups have qualified for Super Six, which will feature those 12 teams in two groups, teams from Group A and D in one and teams from Group B and C in the other.
Thus, India, Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal are in one group and South Africa, England, West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe in the other. However, there is one catch. The format requires the teams to play only a couple of matches in the Super Six while carry-forwarding their points against those who have qualified.
So, for e.g., India will have four points (against Bangladesh and Ireland) in their kitty before the start of the Super Six but Ireland will have zero because they lost against the other two qualifying teams Bangladesh and India. The other change in the format will see a qualifying team face the two teams of the other group finishing in different positions.
So A1 (India) will face D2 and D3 (New Zealand and Nepal) but not D1, i.e., Pakistan. Similarly, Bangladesh (A2) will face Pakistan and Nepal and not New Zealand. The format might be confusing but it has been thought out by the ICC giving a headstart to the teams who did well in the group stage.
The fans waiting to see an India-Pakistan match in the ongoing U19 World Cup match might have to wait a bit longer and see if both teams qualify for the semis and the draw makes them face each other or not.
India will be playing in the first Super Six encounter against New Zealand in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, January 30 followed by the second encounter against Nepal on Friday, February 5 at the very same venue. The Super Six concludes on February 6.
