Dubai, October 12
The race to make the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals is heating up with just a handful of games remaining in the group stage, including the Group A clash between India and Australia at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The result of the IND-W vs AUS-W match will be crucial in determining which two of the five teams from Group A progress to the semi-finals.
While Sri Lanka are already out of the running after three losses, India, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan are still in the race for the semi-finals.
India's Net Run Rate (NRR) was hurt after their opening 58-run loss to New Zealand, dropping to -2.9. It slightly improved after a six-wicket win over Pakistan but shot up to +0.57 following a dominant 82-run victory over Sri Lanka. Even a narrow loss to Australia could see India qualify, as long as the damage to their NRR is minimal.
A win against Australia on Sunday would give India the best chance to qualify, as they would finish with six points. If New Zealand lose at least one of their remaining two games, India would qualify directly on points without worrying about the NRR in this scenario.
The Net Run Rate will come into play for India if there is a three-way tie on six points with Australia and New Zealand. Australia's current NRR is +2.78, giving them a strong advantage. New Zealand's NRR stands at -0.05 but if they win their last two games, they can challenge India for the second spot.
New Zealand can surpass India's NRR if they win against Pakistan and Sri Lanka by a combined margin of 38 runs more than India's margin of victory over Australia. New Zealand have the advantage of playing the last group match against Pakistan.
Pakistan have an NRR of -0.48 and can reach a maximum of four points provided they beat New Zealand, meaning they have a very slim chance of making the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, India, courtesy of their handsome win over Sri Lanka, can still qualify for the semi-finals with four points if New Zealand lose at least one of their remaining two matches and India avoid a huge defeat against Australia. In this case, the second semi-final spot behind Australia could be decided by NRR among India, New Zealand and Pakistan.