• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • India Vs Pakistan In Kolkata Who Will Rohit Sharma Co Face In World Cup Semifinal

India Vs Pakistan In Kolkata? Who Will Rohit Sharma & Co Face In World Cup Semifinal

image-lome9w30India could face Pakistan in the WC semifinal [AP]

Led by Rohit Sharma, India continued their dream run in the 2023 World Cup, decimating South Africa by 243 runs on Sunday. Batting first, India posted a sizeable 326-run total in 50 overs on a tricky pitch. In response, the Proteas were bundled out for a paltry 83 as Ravindra Jadeja ran through their batting lineup.  

This was India's eighth consecutive victory in the tournament, and, as a result, they will enter the semifinal as the top-ranked team in the standings. Now, as we have entered the business end of the tournament, the focus shifts to the knockout stage, comprising two semifinals and the all-important final. 

So, who will India face in the semifinal? Let's analyse and find out. 


Who Will India Face In World Cup Semifinal?

Currently, India occupy the top spot in the points table, followed by South Africa (12 points), Australia (10 points) and New Zealand (8 points) at the second, third and fourth position, respectively. While the Proteas and the Kiwis have one game left, Australia are yet to play two league-stage matches to ensure their semifinal qualification. 

As India will enter the knockouts as the top-ranked team, they will face the fourth-placed side in the first semifinal. Even if South Africa lose their last league match, they won't fall to the fourth position as they already have 12 points to their name. 

image-lomeco6qIndia are likely to face Pakistan or New Zealand in WC semifinal [AP]

Regarding Australia, they will take on Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their last two fixtures. If they win either one game or both, they will face South Africa in the second semifinal. To be honest, Australia are likely to win both these games and qualify for the semis with 14 points. 

Afghanistan, who also have eight points, could pip Pakistan and New Zealand in the semifinal race. However, they will be up against Australia and South Africa and considering their NRR reads -0.330, it will be an uphill task for the Afghans to make it into the semis.

So, practically, the competition is intense between Pakistan (8 points) and New Zealand for the fourth slot. 

  • If New Zealand and Pakistan win their last game, the team with a higher Net Run Rate will proceed to the semifinal as the fourth team. Currently, the Kiwis have a significantly better NRR than Pakistan. 
  • If Pakistan win their last game, but New Zealand lose to Sri Lanka, then Babar Azam and co. will make a miraculous entry to the semifinal and face India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. 
  • If New Zealand win against Sri Lanka, but Pakistan lose to England, then the Kiwis will qualify as the fourth semifinalists and face India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. 

So, there is high probability that India will face either Pakistan or New Zealand in the semifinal. If Pakistan qualify, they will play at the Eden Gardens as confirmed earlier by the ICC.