The ODI World Cup 2023 is already underway, and the competition for a semifinal spot is getting intense. The present encounter involving New Zealand as well as Sri Lanka is one amongst the most important games that will affect the tournament significantly.
Today, the match is currently taking place in Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the last four are in jeopardy. Meanwhile the Kiwis need to win this game to maintain their chances of qualifying for the semifinals.
With eight points, New Zealand is currently fourth in the points standings with Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is just one game left for all the three teams. A win in that game will see them on 10 points in the point standings.
Losing versus Sri Lanka will not be an option for New Zealand. They would be down to eight points after this game, which would allow Pakistan and Afghanistan to sneak past them if they triumph in their remaining games against South Africa and England, respectively.
Possible Scenarios for Pakistan’s qualification to semi-finals
If New Zealand Loses: If New Zealand loses to Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan also loses to South Africa, Pakistan can secure their place in the semifinals with a victory against England on November 11.
If New Zealand Wins: Even if New Zealand manages to win, Pakistan can still qualify. However, they would need to win their match against England by a margin of at least 130 runs more than New Zealand’s victory over Sri Lanka. For instance, if New Zealand wins by 30 runs, Pakistan must win by 160 runs against England to surpass New Zealand’s net run rate.
One other possibility to consider is that Pakistan’s encounter against England would be extremely difficult if New Zealand triumphs tonight by a margin of roughly 150 balls to spare. Pakistan would have to defeat England by an overwhelming margin of more than 270 runs or with only 275 balls remaining, which is no easy task.
