The Indian men’s cricket team made it six wins in six matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 after beating England by 100 runs on Sunday at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. India batted first for the first time in the tournament, scoring a modest 229/9 in their fifty overs as captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 87 runs off 101 balls on a tricky pitch while Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed one run short of his maiden World Cup fifty.
While England got off to a good start in the run chase, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami bamboozled the English top six. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, then, also got in among the wickets as England were bowled out for 129. Shami finished with four wickets, making him the fastest to 40 scalps in World Cup history.
India, earlier, beat New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Australia in the World Cup 2023, all while batting second. The hosts are the only unbeaten team in the tournament and are atop the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table with 12 points, boasting a net run rate of 1.405 – currently the second-best in the tournament.
While Rohit Sharma and Co. are firm favourites to make the semi-finals after the latest win, they are yet to mathematically qualify for the next round. The Indian team could still finish outside the top four spots in case an extremely niche set of results transpire in the remainder of the group-stage matches.
Why India are yet to qualify for the World Cup 2023 semis?
India, who are currently on 12 points, can be joined by South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the winner between Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka with 12 points or more in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 group stage. Pakistan or Bangladesh cannot outscore India in the points table.
Here’s how India can fail to qualify for the semi-final:
If India lose their remaining three matches, which include South Africa and Sri Lanka, they will remain on 12 points. Australia and New Zealand, meanwhile, will have to win two of their remaining three matches, losing only to the Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka winner, to reach 12 points.
South Africa, too, will have to win at least one of their three upcoming matches, including one against India. This will result in five teams being tied on 12 or more points.
All these results put together, wherein India lose all three matches by a massive margin, will be enough to oust the Rohit Sharma-led Indian men’s cricket team out of the semi-final spot in the World Cup 2023.
However, considering that India are on a six-match winning streak in the tournament, the likelihood of this outcome is slim at the moment.
How India can make the World Cup 2023 semis
India will take on Sri Lanka next on Thursday, November 2, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, a rematch of the 2011 World Cup final.
A victory for India in Mumbai will not only make it seven wins on the bounce for the team but also confirm their official qualification for the semi-final in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as only South Africa, New Zealand and Australia can match the 14-point mark in the group stage.
India will also make the semi-finals if any of their remaining group matches is washed out and the points are shared.
After facing Sri Lanka, India will take on South Africa on November 5 in Kolkata, followed by their final group encounter against the Netherlands on November 12 in Bengaluru after a week-long break.
The World Cup 2023 semi-finals will be held on November 15 in Mumbai (1 vs 4) and November 16 (2 vs 3) in Kolkata while the final is scheduled for November 19 at Ahmedabad.
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