Cricket battles are getting more intense with the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, as the group stage nears its end. India Women are in a tricky yet hopeful position at this point in the tournament.
Notably, after a shaky start, the Women in Blue have found their way back into semi-final contention. The Women in Blue had a tough start as they suffered a 58-run loss to New Zealand in their opener, severely damaging their net run rate (NRR). However, the team bounced back with crucial victories against Pakistan and an 82-run win over Sri Lanka, which significantly helped their NRR from -1.217 to +0.576.
Their upcoming match against Australia on Sunday, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will be quite crucial. A win against the defending champions would give the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side the best chance to qualify, potentially securing six points and a spot in the knockouts.
India Women will lock horns with Australia Women in Sharjah
However, qualification scenarios are tough. Even if India defeat Australia, they may find themselves in a three-way tie with Australia and New Zealand, if the latter wins their remaining matches. In this case, NRR would become the deciding factor, with Australia currently holding an advantage at +2.78. Interestingly, India's qualification hopes don't solely rest on a victory against Australia.
Even a narrow loss could see them through, provided the damage to their NRR is minimal. This scenario depends on New Zealand losing at least one of their remaining two matches, creating a potential four-way tie on four points between India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Australia. In that scenario, India's better NRR (currently at +0.576) compared to Pakistan (+0.555) and New Zealand (-0.050) could be important.
However, the Kiwis have the opportunity to improve their NRR as they have two more games to play. The most favourable outcome for India would be a win against Australia along with losses for both New Zealand and Pakistan in their remaining matches. This would secure India's qualification based on points alone, eliminating the NRR factor.
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