WC 2023 Semifinal qualification: Australia reaches semi-finals; New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan in a three-way fight!

PC: dnaindia

In the 2023 ODI World Cup, one of the most notable innings was that of Glenn Maxwell, which is considered one of the greatest innings in the 48-year history of the tournament. Thanks to his double century, Australia confirmed its place in the semi-finals. Australia became the third team to reach the semi-finals, joining India and South Africa, setting the stage for an exciting South Africa vs Australia semi-final.

The remaining semi-final spots are still up for grabs, with New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan competing for them. Australia's 3-wicket win over Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium took them to 12 points, sealing their place in the semi-finals. New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, all tied with 8 points, will play for their last group stage to determine the final knockout berth. New Zealand is currently ranked fourth with the best net run rate (NRR) among the three contenders.

ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Semifinal Qualification Scenario:

India:

India has already qualified for the semi-finals.

South Africa:

South Africa has already qualified for the semi-finals.

Australia:

Australia has already reached the semi-finals.

New zealand

New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in their final group game, which is a must-win as the Kiwis have lost four consecutive games. If Kane Williamson's side beats Sri Lanka and if Pakistan and Afghanistan fail to win their respective matches, they will face India in the semi-finals.

The Kiwis have an NRR of +0.398, while Babar Azam and Co. are far behind with +0.036. Afghanistan has the worst NRR among these three, -0.338.

Pakistan:

Pakistan, on the other hand, is in contention to reach the semi-finals after almost being eliminated. They hope New Zealand and Afghanistan will drop points in their final group games. If New Zealand beats Sri Lanka, Pakistan will not only have to beat England but also secure enough NRR advantage to overtake the Kiwis.

Afghanistan :

Afghanistan faces a tough challenge, having to beat South Africa in their final group game. With the worst NRR among the three chasing teams, victory alone will not guarantee their place in the semi-finals. For them to advance, both New Zealand and Pakistan would have to lose their respective games, or if the Kiwis and Pakistan win, Afghanistan would have to beat South Africa by a significant margin to outperform other teams on the NRR.