The group stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is now at a crucial point, with teams having three games left to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Currently, there are nine teams still in contention, with Bangladesh being the only team to be eliminated. No team has confirmed their progress or been ruled out of the semi-finals yet. The host nation, India, is in the leading position with six wins in six matches. South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia complete the top four.
India only needs one more point to secure a semi-final berth. They can achieve this with a win, tie, or no result in any of their final three games. Other teams outside the top four can only reach a maximum of 12 points. India’s upcoming matches are against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the Netherlands. If India loses all three matches, an Afghanistan defeat in their next game will still secure India’s spot in the semi-finals.
South Africa needs three more points to guarantee a place in the semi-finals. They will face New Zealand, India, and Afghanistan in their final three group games. However, even one win could be enough for South Africa, depending on the results of the teams currently placed between 5th and 10th on the points table.
New Zealand started the tournament with four consecutive wins but lost to India and Australia. They need at least two victories from their remaining three matches to advance to the semi-finals. Their upcoming match against South Africa will be crucial for their chances. Even a defeat to South Africa can still see them through if they beat Sri Lanka and Pakistan in their other two matches.
Australia is in a similar situation to New Zealand. They need two wins in their remaining three games to strengthen their chances. A win against England will put them one win away from the next round. Even if they lose to England, victories against Afghanistan and Bangladesh can still see them progress. However, their net run rate may come into play if they suffer two defeats.
Afghanistan has boosted their chances of making it to the semi-finals for the first time after defeating Sri Lanka. They need to win their upcoming matches against the Netherlands, Australia, and South Africa. They also need one of Australia or New Zealand to lose by a massive margin or lose two matches while winning all three of their own.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan can still mathematically qualify but need to win all their remaining matches and rely on other results. The Netherlands is also in a similar position, needing three wins with a massive victory margin and hoping that no more than three teams finish with 10 points or more.
Bangladesh has been knocked out of the semi-finals race after their defeat against Pakistan. England is also unlikely to qualify, needing massive wins in their remaining matches and hoping for specific outcomes in other games.
