Rohit Sharma's India, Temba Bavuma's South Africa, and Pat Cummins' Australia have secured their spots in the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, while New Zealand are poised to join them as the fourth semi-finalist. India's undefeated run after back-to-back eight victories guaranteed them top spot in the World Cup's points table, regardless of the outcome of their final match against the Netherlands on Sunday.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are locked into fourth position, setting the stage for a rematch of the 2019 World Cup semi-finals, where the Blackcaps emerged victorious over India in a nail-biting encounter. The two teams will once again clash in the semi-finals, with the hopes of reaching the coveted World Cup final resting on their shoulders.
South Africa currently occupy the second position in the standings with 14 points with seven victories, while Australia trail closely behind at number three with 12 points. However, Australia have a chance to leapfrog South Africa into second place if they manage to defeat Bangladesh by a significant margin in their final league match. This would boost Australia's net run rate above South Africa's, potentially altering the semi-final scenario if rain disrupts the match between the two teams in Kolkata.
What if India vs New Zealand's semis gets washed out?
To counter the unpredictable nature of rain, the semi-finals will have the added protection of a reserve day. However, even the reserve day is not immune to the whims of weather, as evidenced by past IPL finals that extended over multiple days due to rain interruptions.
In the event of a washout during the semi-finals, the team that finished higher in the league standings will advance to the final. This means that India will automatically qualify for the final if their semi-final is washed out. Similarly, if the semi-final between South Africa and Australia is also affected by rain, the team that finished second in the league stage will proceed to the final.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Legendary Sir Viv Richards offers huge advice to Team India on how to deal with 'fears of a bad game in the semi-final'
Rahul Dravid whole-heartedly praises Rohit Sharma, reveals Indian captain's impact on team's performance in World Cup