Which Teams Will Qualify For 2023 World Cup Semifinals?

image-ln63t228India recently won the Asia Cup 2023 [AP]

The wait is over and it's time for the cricket fans to celebrate the World Cup 2023 on Indian shores. Ten top-tier teams are all set to battle it out in 48 matches across ten venues for the coveted trophy. While the eyes will be on the big three- India, Australia and England- the underdogs- New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka- are pretty much capable of upsetting them and making it into the playoffs. 

So, as the teams gear up for the showpiece event, let's analyse and find out which teams will likely qualify for the semifinals. 


India

Led by Rohit Sharma, India have a formidable squad for the 2023 World Cup on home soil. Their batting looks rock-solid, studded with the likes of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya, alongside skipper Sharma. 

On the bowling front, Mohammed Siraj is raring to set the stage on fire, while Jasprit Bumrah's recovery from injury has strengthened the side. The hosts also have genuine wicket-takers in Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin, which is why they are expected to qualify for the semifinals with ease. 


England

image-ln63w6j4Jos Buttler will lead England in 2023 WC [X.com]

Despite missing veteran opener Jason Roy, England's line-up is filled with outright match-winners. A batting unit having Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone is certainly scary for any bowling unit in the competition. 

Furthermore, all-rounders like Moeen Ali and Sam Curran can swing the game in the English team's favour in the blink of an eye. They will miss Jofra Archer, but the likes of Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Reece Topley have the potential to run through any batting unit on a given day. Considering these factors, England enter the tournament as one of the hot favourites to clinch the trophy. 


Australia

image-ln63x854Australia will be aiming at their sixth WC title [AP]

Led by Pat Cummins, Australia have suffered a massive setback, with Ashton Agar being ruled out of the World Cup due to injury. However, they still have a formidable side, having genuine match-winners in David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc. 

Also, Marnus Labuschagne's recent exploits in ODIs is certainly one of the biggest positives for the five-time champions heading to the marquee event. Talking about their all-rounders, Glenn Maxwell, Marnus Stoinis and Cameron Green will be pivotal in powering the Aussies to the top four. 


New Zealand

image-ln6403y7NZ defeated Pakistan in warm-ups [AP]

You might be surprised to see New Zealand ahead of fans' favourite South Africa on this list. But the BlackCaps have always had the tendency to peak just at the right time and punch above their weight to surprise everyone. 

They have been incredibly consistent in the ODI World Cups, making it into the semifinals on the previous four occasions. They even entered the tournament's final in 2015 and 2019, but unfortunately, couldn't jump the final hurdle. However, considering the quality they have, we expect New Zealand to make another semifinal appearance in the 2023 World Cup.