India’s Quest for Semi-Finals of Cricket World Cup 2023 Continues to Elude Them

India’s Quest for Semi-Finals of Cricket World Cup 2023 Continues to Elude Them

The Indian men’s cricket team continued their winning streak at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with a 100-run victory over England. The match took place at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. In a departure from their usual strategy, India batted first and scored 229/9 in their fifty overs. Captain Rohit Sharma played a crucial role, scoring 87 runs off 101 balls. Suryakumar Yadav fell just one run short of his maiden World Cup fifty.

England started their run chase well, but the Indian bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, wreaked havoc on their top six batsmen. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with wickets, resulting in England being bowled out for 129. Shami’s four-wicket haul made him the fastest player to reach 40 wickets in World Cup history.

India’s victory against England marked their sixth consecutive win in the tournament. Previously, they had defeated New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Australia while batting second. The Indian team currently sits at the top of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table with 12 points and a net run rate of 1.405, the second-best in the tournament.

Although India is a strong contender for the semi-finals, their qualification is not yet guaranteed mathematically. South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the winner of the match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka could also reach 12 points or more in the group stage. However, neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh can surpass India’s points tally.

To fail to qualify for the semi-finals, India would need to lose their remaining three matches, including the ones against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand would have to win two of their remaining three matches, only losing to the winner of the Afghanistan versus Sri Lanka match. South Africa would also need to win at least one of their three upcoming matches, including the one against India. If all these scenario happens, five teams would be tied on 12 or more points, potentially ousting India from the semi-final spot.

However, given India’s current six-match winning streak, the likelihood of this outcome is slim. In their next match, India will face Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which could seal their qualification for the semi-finals. If any of their remaining group matches get washed out, and the points are shared, India would also secure a spot in the semi-finals.

After the match against Sri Lanka, India will play against South Africa in Kolkata on November 5, followed by their final group match against the Netherlands on November 12 in Bengaluru. The semi-finals of the World Cup 2023 are scheduled for November 15 in Mumbai (1 vs 4) and November 16 in Kolkata (2 vs 3), with the final taking place on November 19 in Ahmedabad.