Australia and Zimbabwe in Nail-Biting Race to Secure Super Eights Spot

ByAnupam Pandey,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 4:22 PM

The group stages have been more intense in Group B clashes. With Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe undefeated, it remains questionable whether Australia will be able to get to the Super Eights stage. Each team now fights for qualification, as four teams remain in race.

The race for the T20 World Cup Super Eight stages has been more intense than ever. While it remains clear about which teams will be able to make it to the next stage in other groups, it remains unclear in Group B. Having teams such as Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman, the group stage has been intense.

While everyone expected Sri Lanka and Australia to be easily qualified for the next stage, that did not happen. With Australia losing to Zimbabwe, the top four teams in the group now stand a chance to be qualified for the next stage. Let's take a look at how the teams in Group B will be able to reach the next stage.

Australia

The qualification scenario for the Australian team remains a bit tricky from this stage. Even a single loss in its next two games would bring the Net run rate to play, and this is where things might go challenging for them. Australia was able to start off its campaign with a win but they suffered a loss against Zimbabwe.

And with their loss against Zimbabwe, Australia now stands at the third spot in the group stages. Since it would be the top two teams in the group which can seal a qualification spot, it is necessary for Australia to find its momentum. After their first two games, their net run rate stands at just 1.10, which is even lower than that of Zimbabwe.

Australia will be going against Sri Lanka, the co-hosts of the tournament. A win over them will further allow the Aussies to gain one rank and dethrone Zimbabwe from the second position. Still, they would have to win both of their last two games to guarantee a Super Eight qualification.

Injury Scare Hurts Australia Again

Australia's T20 World Cup campaign has been affected by several injuries. It was expected that the team would get its key players back for the tournament. But their injury issues have caused the team's key bowlers such as Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and a few more players, to rule themselves out of the tournament.

As of now, it is being reported that Steve Smith has been added to the Australian team. The legendary batsman has now joined the squad for its upcoming matches in the tournament. With each game being important for the team, the experience of Steve Smith will be important for them.

Sri Lanka

In the race of Super Eights for Group B, Sri Lanka comes as the team which is having higher chances. Being the co-hosts of the tournament, all of their group stage games are being played at their home ground. The team has already won both of its group games till now, defeating Oman and Ireland.

With the win against Oman being of massive margin, the team has also generated a positive net run rate. This puts them in a favourable position, as their NRR is above 3 right now. All that the Sri Lankan team needs right now is just one win which could guarantee them a spot in the Super Eight.

The team will be going against Australia today, which comes as a crucial game for both sides. If Sri Lanka wins this game, they would seal the Super Eight spot with one group game still remaining for them. Taking the home ground advantage, the team will remain eager to continue its unbeaten run this tournament.

Zimbabwe

A team which has come down as a surprise package this time is Zimbabwe. The team was expected to have a good tournament this time, but they have shocked the fans by coming out even better than expected. They started off the campaign with a massive win over Oman.

In the next game against Australia, Zimbabwe secured an upset victory. They were able to defeat the Aussies by 23 runs, which puts them in contention for the Super Eight stages. With two wins in two games, the team has positioned itself at the 2nd spot in Group B.

Zimbabwe will be playing its next two games against Ireland and Sri Lanka. If they are able to win the game against Ireland, it would almost guarantee them a spot in the Super Eight stages. It is necessary for Zimbabwe to win a game for Australia to lose a game. And if this happens, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will reach the Super Eight stages.

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