New Zealand's massive win over Sri Lanka saw their net run rate up to +0.743 and almost assured them of a semi-final spot at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.
New Zealand have all but sealed their spot in the semi-finals of the World Cup, joining the likes of India, South Africa and Australia after a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on Thursday.
New Zealand's emphatic victory over Sri Lanka means the make-up of the semi-final stage of the event can only change if something dramatic happens.
India are locked in to finish in first place on the standings, while we already know South Africa and Australia will complete the group stage in second and third place and tackle each other in the semis. The Black Caps' victory over Sri Lanka means they sit in the box seat to finish fourth and are the most likely opponents for India, although Pakistan still have an outside chance of claiming the final place in the knockout stages with a big win over England in their final group match.
Pakistan's equation to make the semi-finals after New Zealand's huge win is a near-impossible one: if they bat first, they need to win by a margin of 287 runs at least and if they are chasing, they need to dismiss England for 50 runs and chase the target in two overs or 100 runs in three overs.
All of these appear highly improbable, meaning that the top four of the World Cup is almost set in stone.
If the standings stay as they are now then India will take on New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 15, with South Africa and Australia's semi-final to take place the following day in Kolkata.Should Pakistan manage to overtake New Zealand and finish in fourth, then India's clash with their arch-rival will take place in Kolkata on Thursday and the Proteas clash with the Aussies will switch to Mumbai a day earlier.
