Who among Australia, England and New Zealand could meet India in T20 World Cup 2022 semis?

Sri Lanka and England will headline the final Group 1 matchup in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 on Saturday. New Zealand won by 35 runs against Ireland on Friday to strengthen their lead in the Group 1 standings, while Australia reached second place with their four-run win against Afghanistan. However, it is still unclear which team from the Group 1 of the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage will qualify for the semi-final.

Meanwhile, India leads the Group 2 standings with six points to their credit and is likely to qualify as the group toppers. The Men in Blue are one point ahead of 2nd placed South Africa and 3rd placed Pakistan after playing equal number of matches. It is pertinent to mention that, as per the T20 World Cup format, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-final of the ongoing tournament. 

Here’s a look at the Group 1 qualification scenario and which team among Australia, England and New Zealand will face India in the semi-final.

T20 World Cup 2022: Group 1 standings ahead of Sri Lanka vs England

While New Zealand tops the Group 1 standings with three wins, one loss, and seven points to their credit in five games, Australia are placed 2nd with equal points but a negative NRR of -0.173. England is third in the standings with two wins, a loss, and a no result after playing four games. Sri Lanka, Ireland, and Afghanistan are placed 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively, ahead of live action on Saturday.

T20 WC 2022 semi-finals: Qualification scenario for Group 1

New Zealand: New Zealand has virtually qualified for the semi-finals as they have seven points to their credit with an NRR of +2.113.

England: In order to qualify for the semi-final, England needs to defeat Sri Lanka on Saturday by a significant margin. That way, they will have a better NRR than Australia (-0.173) and qualify as the 2nd-placed team from Group 1. 

Australia: Having finished their league stage matches on Friday, all Australian eyes would be on the England vs Sri Lanka match on Saturday. If England wins by a good margin, they will end the defending champions’ T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. However, if England loses to Sri Lanka, Australia will remain in second place and advance into the semi-finals.

It is pertinent to mention that Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Ireland are not in the race to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals. The first semi-final of the current edition of the tournament will be played on November 9 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, before the second gets underway at the Adelaide Oval on November 10. The T20 WC 2022 final will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 3.