The Indian cricket team has secured their place in the Cricket World Cup 2023 semifinals after an impressive unbeaten streak in the tournament. Meanwhile, their arch-rivals Pakistan have had a mixed run, with four wins and four losses in their eight matches so far. The outcome of Pakistan’s game against England will play a crucial role in determining their fate in the competition. Despite the contrasting situations of the traditional rivals, there is still a strong possibility that they could face each other in the World Cup semifinals.
India is guaranteed the top spot in the final points table regardless of the result in their match against the Netherlands. With 16 points from 8 matches, they are ahead of second-placed South Africa, who have 14 points.
On the other hand, Pakistan must win their last match and rely on Afghanistan while hoping for a favorable result in the New Zealand game to secure a spot in the semifinals. Pakistan and New Zealand have one match remaining in the tournament, while Afghanistan will face South Africa in their final game.
If Afghanistan loses to South Africa, the race for the fourth spot will be between Pakistan and New Zealand, provided both teams win their respective matches. In the scenario where Afghanistan wins and all three teams end up with 10 points (assuming Pakistan and New Zealand win their final matches), the Net Run Rate (NRR) will decide the fourth spot.
If Pakistan wins their match and both New Zealand and Afghanistan lose their final matches, Pakistan will finish fourth and face India in the semifinals. As per the format, the first-placed team will face the fourth-placed team in the semifinals, setting up an exciting Indo-Pak clash in the World Cup 2023.
