Hope, there’s still hope. The Indian women’s cricket team still has a chance to get their hands on the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Despite making questionable decisions, dropping a plethora of catches, and underperforming, Harmanpreet Kaur’s Team India remains in contention to make the semifinals.
Before winning a low-scoring match against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai, the Women in Blue were placed dead last on the Group A points table. Although they haven’t made huge progress, it’s enough to keep them in the hunt. 6 matches are still left to decide which two teams will advance to the semifinals.
Women’s T20 World Cup Points Table – Group A
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | No Result | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.9 |
| 2 | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.908 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.555 |
| 4 | India | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1.217 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1.667 |
Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: India’s semifinal qualification scenarios
Unfortunately, Team India would be involved in two of these matches. Their fate isn’t entirely in their hands. But, then, it can contribute towards improving qualification chances. Sri Lanka is up next for them—the only team that hasn’t won a game. A win against them would take them to the third spot at least. But we mustn’t forget that Sri Lanka beat India in the last match they played (the Women’s Asia Cup Final) and that too rather comfortably.
New Zealand and Australia are expected to remain in the top two spots despite whoever wins their clash on October 8. Australia is also expected to beat New Zealand and then Pakistan. This means that the most likely scenario would be Australia at 1 and New Zealand at 2. Mind you, the White Ferns have an incredible Net Run Rate (NRR) because of their 58-run victory over India.
The last three matches of Group A would decide who’ll make the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals. If New Zealand loses to Sri Lanka, India’s chance to make it to the top two will increase. If they beat Australia, it’ll be virtually guaranteed. However, if India loses to Australia and New Zealand loses two of their three matches, Pakistan will also come into the game with their two wins.
Group A remaining fixtures
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 8 | Australia vs New Zealand | Sharjah | 7:30 |
| October 9 | India vs Sri Lanka | Dubai | 7:30 |
| October 11 | Australia vs Pakistan | Dubai | 7:30 |
| October 12 | New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | Sharjah | 3:30 |
| October 13 | India vs Australia | Sharjah | 7:30 |
| October 14 | Pakistan vs New Zealand | Dubai | 7:30 |
