After 2 Defeats, Can India Still Qualify For The 2021 World Cup Semi-Final?
How can Virat Kohli's Indian team qualify for the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-finals?
advertisement
A 10 wicket loss to arch rivals Pakistan followed by an 8 wicket defeat to New Zealand and India are staring at an early exit from the 2021 T20 World Cup.
The format of this edition of the tournament is such that 12 teams have been divided into two groups and each of the six in Group 1 and Group 2 play each other. By the end of the matches, the two top teams then qualify straight to the semi-final, with the rest getting knocked out.
India, after their two defeats so far, are currently placed fifth in Group 2, behind Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand and Namibia.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have played three matches each and while Babar Azam's side is unbeaten and top the group, Afghanistan have won two of their matches–against Scotland and Namibia–and are currently ranked second. Afghanistan also have a strong net run rate of +3.097 courtesy their 130-run victory over Scotland in their opening fixture.
Both New Zealand and Namibia though have played as many matches as India with both having won one and lost one game each and that is where India find themselves in trouble, having lost their two outings so far.
They next face Afghanistan on Wednesday, 3 November and then Scotland on Friday, 5 November followed by their final group stage fixture against Namibia on Monday, 8 November.
In case India now go onto win all three matches, their fate fully depends on one of the associate teams pulling off an upset against New Zealand.
Pakistan with their unbeaten run are sure to become the first team to qualify for the knockouts from Group 2, leaving India, New Zealand and Afghanistan in the running for the second spot.
India will first hope for New Zealand to lose one of their next three matches- against Scotland, Namibia and Afghanistan and then, if they manage to win their next three matches against the same teams as well, it will come down to net run rate.
That is also a spot where India are not in the more comfortable of positions with New Zealand currently at +0.765 and Afghanistan at +3.097. India, after their two defeats, are on -1.609.
Virat Kohli's team's next fixture on Wednesday against Afghanistan could also be the detrimental factor because another defeat will ensure that they are indeed knocked out of the tournament in the group stage itself.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)