T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 Qualifying Scenarios of PAK, ENG, NZ and SL. Photo:
The T20 World Cup 2024 has thrown up many surprises and top teams such as finalists, winners and defending champions struggling to make it to the Super 8 stage are the biggest of them.
Twenty matches on and 2009 champions Pakistan, 2014 champions Sri Lanka, two-time winners and defending champions from 2022 England and New Zealand, 2021 finalist, are finding it difficult to enter the next phase of the tournament that is jointly is organized by the USA. and the West Indies.
How can Pakistan still make it to the T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8?
Facing arch-rivals India in New York City, Pakistan were given the golden opportunity to wash away the sins of losing to associate country the USA in a Super Over in their tournament opener in Texas. The bowlers gave them a perfect platform by bowling India out for 119 in 19 overs.
However, no one would have thought in their wildest dreams that after being 80/3 and needing 40 off the remaining 36 balls with seven wickets in hand, Pakistan would lose by six runs.
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This now means that Pakistan have zero points from two matches and even if they win by huge margins against Canada and Ireland, they would have to hope that Ireland beats the US by a nice margin. This is their only realistic chance as the hope that Canada and the US would defeat India is nothing short of a miracle.
How can England still qualify for Super 8 in T20 World Cup 2024?
The defending champion lost his first match against Scotland. They needed to win against Australia to keep things under control. However, they lost by a huge margin of 36 runs and now they are struggling to get past the group stages by relying on their own results.
With Scotland beating Oman by a comfortable margin, Jos Buttler’s men must now beat Oman and Namibia by large margins and then hope that Australia also beat Scotland by a nice margin. It will ultimately come down to the net run rate between Scotland and England if the English win their matches and the Scots lose to Australia.
What are New Zealand’s chances of qualifying for the Super 8?
With Afghanistan taking on the Kiwis, Group C in the 2024 T20 World Cup is now wide open. Hosts West Indies have already won their winnable matches against PNG and Uganda. It will also come down to keeping their nerve against New Zealand and Afghanistan.
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If West Indies beat Afghanistan and New Zealand and Afghanistan beat PNG, the Kiwis will be eliminated. However, if New Zealand beats the West Indies and Afghanistan beats the West Indies, the Windies will be eliminated as New Zealand manages to beat PNG and Uganda.
However, if New Zealand were to beat the West Indies and the hosts were to beat Afghanistan, it would come down to net run rate and the Kiwis could be reprimanded for losing to the Afghans by a huge margin in their tournament opener.
What about Sri Lanka and Group D?
Group D, also called the group of death at this World Cup, remains open for the meeting between South Africa and Bangladesh. If the Proteas manage to beat Bangladesh, the likes of Sri Lanka and the Netherlands would breathe easy as they would have a chance of making it to the Super 8.
If SA beats BAN, Sri Lanka, who lost to both the Proteas and Tigers, should win comfortably against the Netherlands and Nepal and hope the Netherlands beats Bangladesh. So even if Bangladesh beats Nepal, three teams in Netherlands, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would have two points each, and that would amount to net run rate.
First print: June 10, 2024 | 7:19 PM IST