Indias Qualification Scenario Decoded Following West Indies vs Zimbabwe Clash

The Super Eight stages of the T20 World Cup are getting more intense. With the West Indies grabbing a massive win over Zimbabwe, they have plunged to the top of the table with an NRR above 5. Even after a loss, India still stands a chance to reach the semi-final stages, only when things work out as expected.

The T20 World Cup has brought down the Indian fans to use the calculators. The tournament has been so intense, that even the games which didn't involve the Indian team had spectators filling the stadiums. This happened in the clash between the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Two time T20 World Cup champions West Indies continued their unbeaten run in the tournament.

The team was batting first and they were able to post down a massive total of 254 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Later, the bowlers did the job well to bowl out Zimbabwe for just 147 runs. With a massive 107-run victory, the West Indies have now climbed to the top of the standings in Group 1 of the Super Eight.

Current Standings

After the match between West Indies and Zimbabwe, there has been a major shift in the group standings. West Indies secured a 107-run victory, which has awarded them with two points and a massive boost in the Net Run Rate. The team has their NRR at +5.350, which has put them at the top of the table.

So now, it is West Indies at the top of the table followed by South Africa, with both teams having two wins each. India has been dropped to the third position in the standings with 0 points and its NRR being at -3.80, which seems a bit challenging. After suffering a 76-run defeat to South Africa, the Indian team only wanted other teams to maintain low NRR.

But that didn't happen in the clash between West Indies and Zimbabwe. Brad Evans tried his best to lower the margin, as he alone scored 43 runs off 21 balls. This lowered the margin to a great extent, and saved a collapse which could have come at the score of 103. While Zimbabwe's chances of qualification have been lowered, India could seize the opportunity.

India's Qualification Scenario

With the match between West Indies and Zimbabwe, India still has a chance to reach the semi-final stages of the T20 World Cup. There are two possible scenarios which could help India to get over the line. India is having two more games in the Super Eight, which will be against Zimbabwe and West Indies respectively.

The clash against Zimbabwe takes place on 26 February, while the match against the West Indies takes place on 1 March. Since the match against the West Indies will take place at the very end of the tournament, it will make India's qualification scenario more clear. Let's take a look at the current qualification scenario.

India Wins All Remaining Games

The first scenario is India winning both of its remaining Super Eight clashes. It means defeating the table toppers West Indies and the underdogs Zimbabwe. However, it won't be just the wins which could guarantee the Indian team a spot in the semi-final stages, as their NRR stays a lot lower than expected.

Still there is a case where India could make it to the next stage without putting the NRR into consideration. If India wins the games against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, it will be able to reach 4 points. At the same time, if South Africa defeats West Indies and Zimbabwe both, it would put South Africa at the top of the table with 6 points. And they will be followed by India with 4 points.

However, if the clash between West Indies and South Africa goes in the favour of the West Indies, it would be a bit problematic for the Indian team. This would make three teams with 4 points, fighting for two spots in the semi-final stages. With India having a disadvantage due to their NRR, it might make things challenging for the team.

India Wins One But Loses Other

There is a minimal chance for the Indian team to qualify even with two points. For this, it is also necessary that India secures its one win but it should be massive in such a way that the team gets a push to the 2nd position. And at the same time, it is also necessary for South Africa to win both of its remaining games in the Super Eight.

With this, it will be South Africa at the top with 6 points. But India, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe will be having two points each. This will again put the Net Run Rate in question, as India would have to get their NRR higher than the West Indies.