With the Super 12 stage already halfway done, there are numerous options with practically every side still having a chance to advance to the semi-finals.
The T20 World Cup’s Super 12 round is nearly halfway through, and contenders are beginning to see how they will fare in the semifinals.
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current champions The first of Australia’s two must-win games is against Ireland in Brisbane tonight, but the outcome of their remaining four matches may depend on other Group 1 results.
South Africa also issued a warning by defeating rival Group 2 heavyweight India on Sunday night.
Additionally, there is still much to play for teams whose hopes of reaching the semifinals may already be out of reach thanks to automatic qualification to the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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We’ve assumed that there won’t be any more washouts since trying to anticipate how much the weather will affect matches in this environment is foolish. We examine each team’s chances for the semi-finals with 12 games left.
Group 1
New Zealand
Results thus far include victories over Australia, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.
England (Tuesday, Gabba) and Ireland are the upcoming opponents (Friday, Adelaide)
Top of Group 1 and in excellent form, the Black Caps can do Australia the greatest favor by defeating England on Tuesday night at the Gabba. That would allow Australia to advance to the final four in addition to securing their place in the semi-finals.
England
Results so far: victory over Afghanistan, defeat vs Ireland (DLS), and failure with Australia
New Zealand (Tuesday, Gabba), and Sri Lanka are the upcoming games (Saturday, SCG)
The loss to Australia denied the tournament a thrilling showdown, but it turned Tuesday’s match against the Black Caps into a game that would determine the outcome of the tournament. If England loses, they can virtually kiss their chances of playing in the semi-finals goodbye. To advance, they would require Australia to falter against either Ireland or Afghanistan. However, if England defeats New Zealand, their next game against Sri Lanka will be another must-win situation. If they succeed in both of those, their net run rate (NRR), they will almost surely finish second in the group.
Ireland
Results thus far: washout with Afghanistan, loss to Sri Lanka, victory over England (DLS).
Australia (tonight on Gabba), New Zealand, and (Friday, Adelaide)
The Irish have a challenging home stretch ahead of them with Australia and New Zealand, but their victory over England has given them confidence and cause to walk tall. Any fewer than two victories would put an end to their hopes of competing in this year’s competition, although automatic qualification for the tournament in the USA in 2024 remains a goal.
Australia
Results to date: England washout, Sri Lanka win, loss to NZ.
Ireland (tonight on Gabba), and Afghanistan are the upcoming games (Friday, Adelaide)
That crushing loss to the Black Caps in the opening match hurt, especially because it severely affected Australia’s net run rate. The semi-finals are still within reach, though, since the defending champions have long advocated peaking late in the competition. If they can defeat Ireland and Afghanistan in their next two games, that is. The Australians would receive a huge favor if New Zealand defeated England on Tuesday night, effectively clearing the way for them to secure a semifinal position. If England defeats the Kiwis, the net run rate will determine which teams advance to the semifinals.
Sri Lanka
Results thus far: defeat Ireland, defeat Australia, defeat New Zealand
Afghanistan (Tuesday, Gabba), and England are the upcoming matches (Saturday, SCG)
After two losses to Australia and New Zealand, it will take a miracle series of circumstances for Sri Lanka to go to the semi-finals, but they may still ruin the fun for others. Their matchup with Afghanistan is crucial since they need to finish in the top four of Group 1 in order to guarantee their automatic qualification for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, Australia’s final match against England could still be their last chance to go to the final four. Sri Lanka will feel comfortable at the SCG and be confident in their prospects against England.
Afghanistan
Results thus far include defeats to England, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Next matches: Australia (Tuesday, Gabba), Sri Lanka (Friday, Adelaide)
Due to two washouts for games scheduled at the MCG, the big wet in Melbourne has essentially wrecked Afghanistan’s tournament, placing them at the bottom of Group 1. Although the early predictions for their Gabba match against Sri Lanka are not encouraging, that appears to be their greatest opportunity to prevail considering that they will play a rampaging Australia determined to increase their NRR in their final game.