T20 World Cup Points Table: Super Eight scenarios leave Group 1 wide open
The Super 8 stage is in full flow and the T20 World Cup Points Table is already shifting: four semi-final spots remain up for grabs, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 8 March.
How the Super 8 is organised
A total of eight teams progressed to the Super 8 stage and were placed into two groups. Group 1 contains West Indies, South Africa, India and Zimbabwe; Group 2 contains England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Each team plays three matches in the Super 8 phase, facing each of the other teams in their respective group once. After those fixtures, the top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the winner of each Super 8 group facing the runner-up from the other.
Early qualifiers and recent eliminations
England were the first team to qualify for the next phase after claiming convincing wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan in their opening two Super 8 fixtures; England are through to the semi-finals after those wins. South Africa have also joined them in the next phase — South Africa are through after two impressive victories out of two. Zimbabwe were eliminated after losing against India on 26 February, and Sri Lanka are eliminated following their defeat by New Zealand on 25 February.
T20 World Cup Points Table: what remaining teams need
Several permutations remain that will affect the T20 World Cup Points Table. India and West Indies are effectively playing for a spot in the semi-finals when they meet on 1 March. New Zealand will progress if they beat England on Friday or if Pakistan fail to beat Sri Lanka on Saturday. If the Black Caps lose to England, Pakistan could qualify by beating Sri Lanka but it would come down to net run-rate (NRR).
Why net run-rate matters and how it is calculated
Net run-rate is the common method for differentiating teams level on points in a limited-overs cricket tournament. It is a formula that measures a team's average margin of victory, or defeat — a side with several big wins will have a positive net run-rate, while those who have suffered sizeable losses will have a negative one.
Next key fixtures and the route to the final
The immediate fixtures that will reshape the Super 8 standings are India v West Indies on 1 March, New Zealand v England on Friday, and Pakistan v Sri Lanka on Saturday. The four semi-finalists will be decided after the remaining Super 8 matches, and the tournament concludes with the final on Sunday, 8 March.
