Group 2 of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup has taken an interesting turn after a washout match between South Africa and Zimbabwe on Tuesday, October 25.
The first match of group B saw India lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan, where the Men in Blue won the match by four wickets. Virat Kohli inning made everyone tight-seated throughout the run chase as Rohit Sharma and Co. crossed the line in the last ball.
The KING is back 👑
Take a bow, Virat Kohli 🙌#T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/OdAnbmso0h
— ICC (@ICC) October 23, 2022
Group A’s top team and Group B’s second-placed team enter Group 1 of the Super 12s, while Group B’s top team and Group A’s second-placed team enter Group 2. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage during the Super 12 stage, which consists of two groups of six teams playing a round-robin format. Two semi-finals make up the knock-out stage, followed by the final at the MCG on November 13.
India and Bangladesh both have two points. However, Bangladesh is in first place while India is in second. Bangladesh is in the first place due to a higher net run rate. With one point each, South Africa and Zimbabwe are in third and fourth place, while Pakistan and the Netherlands are in the bottom two spots.
The Babar Azam-led team may have lost to India in their tournament opener by a razor-thin margin that sapped their spirit. However, the Men in Green still have a lot of work to do in order to advance to the semifinals. If they can win all of their remaining games, that is. They will have 8 points after four victories in as many games, and a higher net run rate could be enough to move them to the top two finishers in Group 1.
Pakistan vs South Africa contest likely to decide the fate of Group 1
India will have 10 points and be assured of a spot in the semi-finals if they win all of their remaining games. South Africa may now earn nine points, whereas Pakistan can only earn a maximum of eight. As a result, the match between Pakistan and South Africa is effectively one of this group’s most significant contests.
Bangladesh can also score 10 points, but given how poorly the Bangla Tigers have played in shorter formats over the past year, it appears doubtful that they will overcome nations like South Africa, India, and Pakistan.
For Netherlands and Zimbabwe, it will take a heroic performance in every match from now on to have a chance to be in the T20 World Cup semi-final.
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