World T20 – the race to reach the semis is on

West Indies

The West Indies top Group 1 with 2 wins out of two and have looked as dangerous as ever. They have, quite brilliantly actually, picked a leggy as their lead spinner, making the chances of his action being deemed illegal extremely unlikely. Chris Gayle has performed like only Chris Gayle could and with the likes of Andre Fletcher, Andre Russell and the ever reliable Dwayne Bravo firing, they look like the sure fire team to make it to the Semis from group 1, if they secure a win in their 2 remaining games(of which one is against Afghanistan).

England

England have had a typically up and down tournament, although they did manage not to succumb to an associate member this time…. barely. A record run chase against South Africa means that they too have 2 wins under their belts and a win against Sri Lanka in what will be their last game of the Super 10 stage on Saturday, will be essential to their chances of making it through to the semis. They could still lose out on the semi-final spot, even with a win, if South Africa win their two remaining games.

South Africa

A team full of superstars but South Africa somehow never seem to be able to put together a Champion team. This time too they have started unconvincingly, a shock loss to England after making 229 put their “favourites” tag firmly in the backseat. Mohammed Shahzad threatened to gun down their total of 209 all by himself in their 2^nd game against Afghanistan but cooler heads prevailed this time around to give the Proteas a comfortable yet unconvincing win. 2 wins in the remaining 2 games will most definitely take them through, unless England too beat Sri Lanka, in which case the NRR will come into play. Having made over 500 runs in the tournament so far, SA seem safe on that front.

Sri Lanka

Let’s admit it, the way Sri Lanka have played so far, they do not deserve a place in the top 4, but it is still achievable. The most straightforward way of doing so would be to beat both England and South Africa. On the other hand, a loss to England would almost certainly knock them out. Another scenario could play out like this, if they do beat England but lose to South Africa, they may still stand a chance of qualifying on NRR if South Africa loses to the West Indies. Having said that, Sri Lanka have the lowest NRR of the 4 top teams in Group 1, so it is quite unlikely that 2 wins would be sufficient to take them to the semis.

Afghanistan

The Afghans’ tournament is over but they could still make an impact if they spring a surprise on the highflying Windies in their last game of the tournament. They have challenged all three big teams they have faced in the tournament so far and a win would definitely make their case for a regular inclusion in major tournaments.

New Zealand

The Black Caps started the tournament with a bang when their spin trio, described as “the unknown, the virtually unknown and the other McCullum” by Jarrod Kimber, blew away tournament favourites India in the opening game of the tournament. A closer win against trans-Tasman rivals Australia and an easier win against Pakistan ensured New Zealand a spot in the semis, all while Tim Southee and Trent Boult sat on the bench. The duo may yet get a game in New Zealand’s final fixture against Bangladesh.

India

India scraped through by the skin of their teeth against a spirited Bangladeshi outfit but will still need to beat Australia in their final game to make certain of their place in the semis. If they fail to do so, they will have to hope that Australia loses to Pakistan, leaving them in a three-way NRR tussle. Of the 4 top teams, India has the lowest NRR so they will be looking to avoid that particular scenario.

Pakistan

Pakistan has always been a team that flatters to deceive and this tournament has been no different. They came out all guns blazing against Bangladesh, but their flames were doused by Virat Kohli in their next game. A failure to use their best resources in the 3^rd game gave the Black Caps a win, leaving Pakistan with a very slim chance of going through, even if they do beat Australia. If they manage to secure a win in their final fixture, they would have to rely on the Aussies beating India, which will leave all three teams with 2 wins a piece, with NRR deciding who goes through.

Australia

Australia will rue their missed opportunity against the Black Caps as a win there would’ve made their path to the semi-finals much clearer. Now however, the only way they can ensure their spot is if they beat both India and Pakistan, while a win against Pakistan would make their India clash virtually a quarterfinal playoff. A loss to Pakistan and a win against India could still take them through, depending on the NRR they are able to maintain.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh crashed out of the tournament in spectacular fashion, breaking hearts along the way. Requiring 2 runs off 3 deliveries, with two of their best batsmen at the crease, they managed to lose 3 wickets and hand India a win. They had the chance to turn their nightmare of losing two of their strike bowlers in the middle of the tournament into a fairy-tale by securing a famous victory against the pre-tournament favourites, but they let it slip through their fingers. Their last game of the championship will matter for little as both theirs and New Zealand’s fates have already been decided.