With three powerhouses – Australia, England, and South Africa – already cemented in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup semifinals, all eyes are on the thrilling race for the last remaining spot. India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka are locked in a fierce contest, with an upcoming clash between India and New Zealand poised to be a pivotal decider.
Currently, India sits on 4 points with a healthy net run rate of +0.526. New Zealand also has 4 points but a lower net run rate of -0.245, while Sri Lanka, with 4 points, trails further with a -1.035 net run rate.
For India to guarantee a semi-final berth, they must win both of their remaining matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh. However, even a victory against New Zealand alone could be enough for India to advance, irrespective of their final game’s outcome.
ICC Women’s World Cup Points Table
| Position | TEAM | PLAYED | WON | LOST | N/R | NRR | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | South Africa | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | +0.276 | 10 |
| Q2 | Australia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +1.818 | 9 |
| Q3 | England | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +1.490 | 9 |
| 4 | India | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | +0.526 | 4 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.245 | 4 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -1.035 | 4 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -0.578 | 2 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -2.651 | 2 |
The tournament’s official playing conditions provide clear guidelines for determining team rankings in case of equal points:
“In the event of teams finishing on equal points in the league stage, the ordering of teams will be decided in the following order of priority: The team with the greatest number of wins in the league matches will be placed in the higher position. If there are teams with equal points and equal wins in the league matches, then in such case the teams will be ordered according to their net run rate (NRR) in the league matches. If two or more teams are still equal, they will be ordered according to the result of the head-to-head match played between them. If the above does not resolve the league ordering, or if all matches within the league stage produce no results, the teams will be ordered as per their original league seedings.”
How India Can Secure Their Spot
If India were to lose to New Zealand but still manage to defeat Bangladesh, their advancement would then hinge on England beating New Zealand in their final league stage match. However, two losses for India would unfortunately end their semi-final journey.
New Zealand’s path is also clear: they need to win both their remaining encounters against India and England. Should they overcome India but fall to England, they would then rely on Bangladesh defeating India and maintaining a superior net run rate over Sri Lanka, or for Pakistan to defeat Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s hopes for a semi-final spot are tied to defeating Pakistan in their final group stage match. Additionally, they would need India to lose both of their remaining games, New Zealand to be defeated by England, and for their own net run rate to ultimately surpass New Zealand’s.
For fans interested in other inspiring sports stories, Lovlina Borgohain’s journey is featured on Game On, Episode 5.