After NZ win against SL, New Zealand has brought Pakistan out from semifinals of the 2023 ICC World Cup after their win against Sri Lanka. Babar Azam and his Pakistan team appear poised for an early entry after Kane Williamson’s New Zealand trounced Sri Lanka on Thursday in India in the final round-robin stage, led by Trent Boult who displayed an outstanding bowling performance against 1996 champions Sri Lanka in a crucial World Cup matchup for Kane Williamson’s side.

Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, and spinner Rachin Ravindra took two wickets on match day 41 to create a low-scoring affair. Sri Lanka collapsed to an under-par total at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru;

Only opener Kusal Perera reached 50 runs despite numerous other batters coming close. New Zealand qualified automatically for the World Cup by reaching their target within 28.5 overs.

Devon Conway (45) and Rachin Ravindra (42) combined for an opening stand of 86 runs before Daryl Mitchell’s blistering knock propelled New Zealand past 1996 World Champions Sri Lanka by just one wicket in their final league match of 2019.

Following this win, New Zealand has kept the fourth spot on the World Cup points table after holding on with just two wins to Pakistan, who currently lie fifth. However, Pakistan has another match yet to play.

What Are The Stats That Pakistan Can Qualify For The Semifinals?

Pakistan must now beat England by 287 runs at Eden Gardens on Sunday while either batting first or first innings, regardless of which option they select to bat first.

At least 284 balls to spare when chasing! Babar’s Pakistan side will face Jos Buttler and England on Saturday in the final league match of the ICC World Cup. Had Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand, Pakistan would have qualified with an advantage win;

Otherwise, if New Zealand won by 40 overs, then Pakistan could only surpass them on Net-Run Rate (NRR), provided they beat England by more than 183 runs (assuming Pakistan reached the 300 runs mark).

Pakistan must now defeat England by a large margin after New Zealand concluded their final league match within 30 overs. Babar and Co. must limit England to 13 if Pakistan bats first and scores 300, or if England scores 100 and Pakistan decides to bowl first, Babar and Co. must similarly limit England to 13 to achieve their target.

Who Will India Face In The Semifinals Of The World Cup?

New Zealand has advanced to the semifinals of the ICC World Cup. Based on the net run rate (NRR), they lead Pakistan (+0.036). New Zealand will face Rohit Sharma and Team India at Wankhede Stadium for their semifinal match before facing Netherlands-India for their league finale matchup at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

Afghanistan’s Slim Chances

Afghanistan is still in contention, although their net run rate significantly trails both Pakistan and New Zealand. Their best chance for making it into the semifinals would be for New Zealand and Pakistan to lose their final matches while Afghanistan beat South Africa. Afghanistan could go on to play India as their semifinal opponent if both fail.

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