Who can qualify for the last two Cricket World Cup semifinal spots and how?

Despite suffering a significant defeat against the two-time champions, South Africa has managed to secure a spot in the knockout stage. Australia, on the other hand, is on the verge of confirming their qualification.

In the lower half of the standings, the defending champions, England, have faced a series of humiliating defeats, becoming the first team to be eliminated from contention. They now occupy the bottom spot in the table.

For Bangladesh, their tournament journey began with controversy surrounding selection decisions and public disputes, and it has ultimately ended in yet another failure to advance to the knockout stage of an international competition.

The Netherlands, known for causing upsets in major tournaments, find themselves almost out of contention for the semifinals. They have suffered five defeats and garnered only four points. Their only hope lies in winning their last two matches against England and the tournament favorites, India, by substantial margins while also relying on the teams above them to lose all their remaining games.

Sri Lanka has struggled throughout the competition, securing two wins but suffering five losses. Even if the 1996 champions manage to win their last two matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, they will need to significantly improve their net run rate to have a chance of qualifying for the next round.

Australia

• Points: 10
• Net run rate: 0.924

The team, which boasts five Cricket World Cup championships under their belt, only needs to secure a victory in one of their two remaining matches to ensure their place in the semifinals. They currently occupy the third position with 10 points, but their final standing in the group stage remains uncertain, as it could either improve or decline.

New Zealand

• Points: 8
• Net run rate: 0.398

New Zealand opened their campaign impressively, delivering a resounding victory against England and earning the status of tournament favorites. However, they have since experienced a downturn with four losses, landing them in fourth place.

Pakistan

• Points: 8
• Net run rate: 0.036

In a scenario all too familiar, Pakistan has made a late surge to rekindle their hopes of advancing, securing two consecutive wins with one match remaining against the tournament’s lowest-ranked team.

Nonetheless, their path to the semifinals hinges on multiple factors, not only the outcomes but also the margins of those outcomes.

Babar Azam’s team must clinch victory against England and simultaneously rely on New Zealand and Afghanistan to lose all their remaining matches. A defeat against England would essentially seal Pakistan’s elimination.

The 1992 champions can also secure qualification based on net run rate if the following conditions are met:

• New Zealand narrowly defeats Sri Lanka, and Pakistan triumphs over England by a margin of 130 runs or more.
• In the event that the match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka is abandoned due to anticipated rain in Bengaluru, and Afghanistan wins a match without significantly improving their net run rate.

Afghanistan

• Points: 8
• Net run rate: -0.330

Among the three teams each with eight points, Afghanistan holds a notable advantage as they are the sole team with two matches remaining.

Securing victories in these two matches would provide them a smooth path to the semifinals. Nevertheless, Afghanistan faces a daunting challenge due to the reputation and current form of their opponents, and a loss in either of these matches could jeopardize their chances of making it to the semifinals.