Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India registered a crushing 82-run win over Sri Lanka in their third Group A match of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Wednesday. After losing the opening match to New Zealand by heavy margin, Team India needed to win their next two matches by huge margin to keep semi-final hopes alive as the final match was against defending champions Australia.
India’s win over Sri Lanka took their Net Run Rate (NRR) to the positive. The Women in Blue are currently in second place with four points from three matches and an NRR of +0.576, only behind Australia who are also with four points, but from two games instead of three. Australia have an NRR of +2.524
Team India's semifinal qualification scenario
If India hopes to make it to the semi-finals then it will have to beat Australia in their final group stage match on Sunday. A win over Australia will take India to six points from four matches. In such a scenario, India must hope that New Zealand and Pakistan, both of whom have two matches in hand, lose at least one match.
Should India beat Australia, Australia beat Pakistan and New Zealand win both of their remaining games, then there would be three teams on six points Australia, India and New Zealand, and it will all come down to the NRR to decide which two teams go through.
Should India go down to Australia in their final group stage match, India will need New Zealand and Pakistan to lose at least one of their last two matches in the group stage. Should this happen, India, as well as New Zealand and Pakistan will remain on four points, and once again, the NRR will decide which team qualifies for the semi-finals along with Australia.
