Afghanistan’s stunning win over Australia has injected drama into Group 1 of the T20 World Cup, shaking up the race for the semi-finals. With India’s victory over Bangladesh setting the stage, Australia needed a win against Afghanistan to secure their spot alongside India. However, Afghanistan’s resilient performance, reminiscent of their near-upset in last year’s ODI World Cup against Australia, has left all four teams with a chance to qualify going into the final round.
For India, the path is clear: defeat Australia to render Afghanistan’s match against Bangladesh inconsequential.
While it seems improbable for India to miss out from this position, it remains a mathematical possibility if both Australia and Afghanistan achieve significant victories.
Australia must defeat India by 41 runs to surpass them in Net Run Rate (NRR), while Afghanistan needs an 83-run victory over Bangladesh.
In case of a washout, India would advance as no other team can achieve five points.
Australia (2 points, 2 games; NRR +0.22): Australia’s route to the semi-finals requires a win against India, followed by hoping for a Bangladesh victory over Afghanistan. Even a narrow loss keeps them in contention, pending favorable NRR outcomes.
Afghanistan (2 points, 2 games; NRR -0.65): Afghanistan’s scenario hinges on results elsewhere. A win against Bangladesh is essential, coupled with specific NRR calculations to edge out competitors.
Bangladesh (0 points, 2 matches; -2.48): Bangladesh faces an uphill task, needing a substantial win over Afghanistan and relying on Australia’s defeat to maintain a faint hope of progressing.
The final matches promise high stakes and tense calculations as teams battle for coveted semi-final spots in this fiercely contested T20 World Cup group.