Conspiracy theories are emerging ahead of the semi-finals decider matches on Saturday, 29 June, and Sunday, 30 June, five teams vie for three spots.
Australia have secured their place at the points table and New Zealand are close to the finish line while India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan are fighting to stay in the tournament.
If India is to make it to the top four, they need to defeat two, if not all three, teams in the upcoming matches. The Men in Blue are playing against England on Sunday, 30 June, Bangladesh on Tuesday, 2 July and Sri Lanka on Saturday, 6 July.
Virat Kohli & Co are set to play against England in Birmingham. What’s interesting is that it’s not just Indian fans who are rooting for them!
Pakistan and Bangladesh will be the two teams watching this battle closely.
Why? Because, for Pakistan and Bangladesh to enter the semis, India need to beat England, who stand at number 4 in the ICC points table. And just in case the two teams lose their next matches, they would want India to make their jobs easier by taking on England.
In order to move up the ladder, Pakistan need to win their match against Afghanistan, who are already out of the tournament. The enigmatic Pakistan will hope to continue their resurgent run and keep complacency at bay.
Pakistan had its ups and downs this World Cup and surprised everyone in their last two matches against South Africa and the undefeated New Zealand, who lost their first match in this edition.
And as for Bangladesh, who stand at number 5 in the points table, England losing to India will only boost their chances. It is likely that Bangladesh will have a chance after India’s match on Sunday as England has been suffering due to bad form and injuries.
The Tigers won their last match against Afghanistan. They have upcoming matches against India and Pakistan, out of which they need to win at least one.
(With inputs from IANS)
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