Pakistan’s victory against New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup 2023 has significantly boosted their chances of reaching the semifinals. In a rain-affected match in Bengaluru, New Zealand set a formidable total of 401/6, thanks to impressive performances from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson. Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, responded with an explosive century from Fakhar Zaman and a gritty half-century from Babar Azam himself, putting them ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) par score when rain interrupted play.
As a result of this victory, Pakistan now has eight points and has overtaken Afghanistan to claim the fifth spot in the official standings. Both Pakistan and New Zealand have the same number of points after playing eight matches, but New Zealand’s superior Net Run Rate (NRR) puts them ahead.
The final match for Pakistan is against England, and if they win while New Zealand loses to Sri Lanka in their final match, Pakistan will finish higher than New Zealand. However, if both teams win their respective matches, the team with the better NRR will secure a higher position in the final points table.
Afghanistan is also in contention for a semifinal spot, with eight points from seven matches. They have two remaining matches against Australia and South Africa, and two wins will guarantee their place in the knockout stage. However, if they win just one game and both Pakistan and New Zealand win theirs, all three teams will have 10 points, and the NRR will determine the higher-placed team.
Australia currently holds the third spot with 10 points after their victory over England, while India leads the points table with 14 points, followed by South Africa with 12 points.
The Cricket World Cup 2023 is heating up, with Pakistan’s win against New Zealand intensifying the race for the semifinals. The final matches will determine which teams secure their place in the knockout stage.
