Afghanistan pulled off another shocking win against Sri Lanka to intensify the race for the World Cup 2023 semifinal qualification on Monday, October 30. Each of the ten teams has played it's first six games in the tournament and still no team has secured knockouts or is knocked out of the race.
India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand remain dominant in the tournament are currently occupy the top four spots in the points table after match no.30. All 10 teams remain alive in the race for the semifinal berth and will fancy their chances with fans calculating every crazy possible scenario in the closing stages of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Pakistan started the tournament with a lot of noise by winning their opening two games and topping the points table. But Babar Azam-led side now finds itself in a big mess with four straight defeats and race against the time to reach the semifinal of the World Cup 2023.
Cricket fans, especially from India and Pakistan, remain hopeful for another potential encounter in the tournament. Both India and Pakistan can still face each other in the semifinal and even in the final if both teams produce some favourable results in the remaining group-stage matches.
Pakistan's remaining World Cup 2023 fixtures:
- Pakistan vs Bangladesh in Kolkata on October 31
- Pakistan vs New Zealand in Bengaluru on November 4
- Pakistan vs England in Kolkata on November 4
India vs Pakistan semifinal scenario:
The Men in Blue are placed at the top and are expected to secure a semifinal spot with no difficulties. Rohit Sharma-led side will confirm the knockout qualification If they win their next game against Sri Lanka and can finish in any position in the top four.
On the other hand, the road to the semifinal qualification will not be so easy for Pakistan. They are currently placed in the no.7 position in the points table with 4 points and will not guarantee a spot in the semifinal even if they win their remaining three games. They need other teams' results in their favour and also rely on the final net run rate of other competing sides.
What if Pakistan win against Bangladesh?
Pakistan can still finish in the 2nd position if they win the remaining three matches. If they win against Bangladesh in their next game and the last two games, then they can finish in either the 2nd, 3rd or 4th spot, but once again, they will need favourable results from other teams. If India and Pakistan manage to finish in the top two positions, then fans will miss the chance of seeing them clashing in the semifinal but can hope for a potential encounter in the mega-final.
What if Pakistan lose against Bangladesh?
Pakistan will still remain alive in the knockout race even if they lose against Bangladesh in their next game. Pakistan can still bag 8 points if they win against England and New Zealand in their last two games. However, they need to win the remaining games by a considerable margin to improve their current -0.387 net run rate and also pray for consecutive defeats for New Zealand and Australia.
The chances of Pakistan finishing in the no.4 remain high and then facing India in the potential first semifinal on November 15 in Mumbai.
