Group D, the group of death, is nicely poised at the knife's edge, truly standing on its pre-tournament term. The South Africa vs Netherlands face-offs, the new Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka rivalry and a pinch of Nepal flavour in it, make this dish one to watch out for.
It has indeed been one of the eye-pulling groups. South Africa defeated Bangladesh and have registered their third straight win in the tournament. Three hard-fought wins for the Proteas. On the contrary, Sri Lanka are winless in both of their games so far and sit at the bottom of the points table. So have South Africa qualified for the Super Eights or have Sri Lanka been knocked out? Let's find it out here.
South Africa all but through
South Africa have still not officially qualified for the Super Eights but they are best placed to do so. With three wins in as many outings, the Proteas have six points to their name. The only way they can be stopped from reaching the next stage is if one of Bangladesh and the Netherlands and Nepal reach to six points.
What about Bangladesh?
Despite their loss to the Proteas, the Bangla Tigers are in second place due to their NRR. Bangladesh have, 2 points in two matches and their NRR of +0.075 puts them over the Netherlands. They face the Dutch and Nepal next. Two wins shall be enough for them.
Do Netherlands have a chance too?
Yes, a good one indeed. Like Bangladesh, the Netherlands too have 2 points in 2 outings but have an inferior NRR of +0.024. They face Bangladesh and Sri Lanka next, meaning only one of the Netherlands and Bangladesh will reach to six points. If they win two, that should confirm their Super Eights place.
Do Nepal stand a chance too?
Yes, however unlikely it might sound, but they have a chance too. Nepal have lost their opening fixture to the Dutch but if they somehow manage to get three in a row, they will be on six. If they win two, they would need other results to go their way.
Are Sri Lanka out now?
Sri Lanka are at the dead bottom of this group - zero points in two matches. They have lost to both Bangladesh and South Africa and are on the verge of an elimination. But they are not officially out of it. If they beat Nepal and Netherlands in their final two games, they will be on four. They would then need help from others, for say, the Dutch should beat the Bangla Tigers and Nepal to not go beyond four. They will face the Netherlands and would then stop them on four.
The only reason why South Africa have not qualified despite three wins on the trot is that two teams - Bangladesh/Netherlands and Nepal can still come to six points, the mark they are at after three games.
