Champions Trophy Qualification: Battle for Two Remaining Spots Heats Up Among Four Teams

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:33:20 GMT

With only a week left in the ICC World Cup 2023’s group stage, two teams have secured their places in the semi-finals: India and South Africa. Australia stands on the cusp of qualification with ten points, needing a win in one of their remaining matches against Afghanistan on November 7 or Bangladesh on November 11 to confirm a top-four spot. Meanwhile, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are in contention for the remaining two semi-final berths.

The teams officially out of the tournament are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the reigning 2019 champions, England. However, these matches are not meaningless, as they influence the 2025 Champions Trophy qualification. The top seven teams, along with host Pakistan, will participate in the event.

Following Sri Lanka’s loss to Bangladesh in Match 38, five teams have already secured their spots: India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Afghanistan, according to the standings on November 6. Pakistan, ranked fifth, has already gained automatic qualification.

For the bottom four teams, here are the scenarios to secure the remaining two Champions Trophy spots:

England (Bottom of the table with 2 Points): England must win both their remaining matches against the Netherlands and Pakistan to reach six points. If both Bangladesh (vs. Australia) and Sri Lanka (vs. New Zealand) win their matches, and the Netherlands loses, the qualification will be determined by Net Run Rate (NRR) among England, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. England would need a victory by a margin of 64+ runs (assuming they score 300) against the Netherlands to surpass Bangladesh’s NRR of -1.142.

Netherlands (Ninth on the table with 4 Points): The Netherlands can advance by winning both their remaining matches. Even a win against England and a washout against India or vice versa will earn them the seventh spot with seven points. However, if they lose one game, they will need England to lose to Pakistan while also hoping for losses or washouts for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in their last matches.

Sri Lanka (Eighth on the table with 4 Points): Sri Lanka needs to win against New Zealand to reach six points. To qualify based on points, they require Bangladesh to lose their last match and the Netherlands to lose both. If Bangladesh wins, the Netherlands should lose both, and England should lose to Pakistan. In this scenario, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the two teams with six points, ensuring their qualification.

Bangladesh (Seventh on the table with 4 Points): Bangladesh requires a win to reach six points. To qualify on points, they would need Sri Lanka to lose their last match and the Netherlands to lose both. Even if England wins both their matches, both Bangladesh and England will advance with six points. If Sri Lanka wins against New Zealand, the Netherlands must lose both, and England must lose to Pakistan. If Bangladesh loses to Australia, they need to ensure it’s not by a significant margin.