After New Zealand eliminated Sri Lanka from the tournament on Wednesday, Pakistan’s hopes of making it to the T20 World Cup semi-final are in shambles. New Zealand significantly increased their Net Run Rate in the competition after defeating the co-hosts by a staggering 61 runs in Colombo.
New Zealand is now the favorite to advance from Group 2 to the semi-final, trailing just England, as their NRR has soared to +3.050 following the decisive victory. But Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match to remain in the competition.
In their final match, Pakistan, who currently have an NRR of -0.461, must defeat Sri Lanka by a margin of 70 runs. However, England must defeat New Zealand in order for Pakistan to stay in contention. Pakistan’s qualification will be significantly impacted by England’s margin of win over New Zealand.
New Zealand will advance to the semi-final if England’s match against the Kiwis is washed out. According to ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka by 50 runs in order to advance to the semi-final assuming England defeat New Zealand by 20 runs.
Although the equation may seem a little challenging, it is not totally unfeasible.
Sri Lanka batting first will make things more difficult for Pakistan. If Sri Lanka bat first and score 200 runs, Pakistan will have to chase it down in less than 15 overs. If Sri Lanka score 150 runs, then Pakistan will need to chase it down in less than 14 overs.
Pakistan will benefit from knowing just how many runs they need to win if England defeat New Zealand on Friday. Pakistan’s NRR equation will be determined by the margin of victory, and when they face Sri Lanka the following day on Saturday, the Salman Agha-led team will know exactly what they need to do to get to the semi-final.
As of right now, Pakistan will face the top team in Group 1 in Colombo if they advance to the semi-finals. The summit clash will also take place in Sri Lanka if Pakistan get to the final.
