Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
In a thrilling showdown, Pakistan emerged victorious against New Zealand on Saturday, November 4, with a spectacular performance by Fakhar Zaman, who scored a blistering century alongside a half-century from Babar Azam. Their 21-run win via the DLS method revives’ Pakistan's hopes of securing a spot in the semis of the ICC World Cup 2023. Let's delve into the possible scenarios that could pave the way for Pakistan to reach the crucial knockout stage.
New Zealand will play against Sri Lanka on November 9 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. On the other hand, Pakistan will play against England on November 11 at the Eden Garden Stadium. Afghanistan will play against Australia and South Africa on November 7 and November 10 at Wankhede Stadium and Narendra Modi Stadium respectively.
If New Zealand prevails over Sri Lanka by a just 1 run, Pakistan must defeat England by a staggering 131 runs when batting first or chase down the target in just 28 overs when batting second.
Should New Zealand win against Sri Lanka by 25 runs, Pakistan's task becomes even more challenging. They would need to outscore England by 154 runs when batting first or chase down the target in just 25 overs when batting second.
If New Zealand secures a victory against Sri Lanka by 50 runs, Pakistan's challenge grows further. They must outclass England by an extraordinary 177 runs when batting first or chase down the target in a mere 21 overs when batting second.
In the event of New Zealand beating Sri Lanka by a substantial margin of 100 runs, Pakistan's mountain to climb becomes monumental. They would need to outscore England by a colossal 225 runs when batting first or chase down the target in a mere 14 overs when batting second.
If New Zealand successfully chases down the target set by Sri Lanka in 35 overs or less, Pakistan will have to achieve an extraordinary victory against England, winning by a remarkable 225 runs or chasing the target in just 14 overs when batting second.
If New Zealand chase down the target against Sri Lanka in 40 overs, Pakistan's challenge persists. They must defeat England by a substantial 193 runs when batting first or chase down the target in 19 overs when batting second.
In the case New Zealand achieves the target set by Sri Lanka in 45 overs, Pakistan would need to secure a victory against England by a substantial 160 runs or chase down the target in 23 overs when batting second.
If New Zealand manages to chase down the target in 49 overs, Pakistan must outperform England by a significant 137 runs when batting first or chase down the target in 27 overs when batting second.
The complexity of the above scenarios could have been significantly mitigated had Pakistan managed to secure a victory over Bangladesh within 30 overs to manage the net run rate. Pakistan was able to achieve the 204-run target in 32.3 overs.
It's essential to note that Afghanistan's Cricket Team is also in contention for a semi-final spot. The scenarios mentioned earlier will come into play only if Afghanistan faces defeats in both of their upcoming matches against Australia and South Africa. Currently, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan find themselves tied at 8 points, holding the 4th, 5th, and 6th positions on the points table respectively, based on their run rates.