As India and Australia gear up for a T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 clash in St. Lucia, it isn't just the men from Down Under who are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for clear skies in the high-profile contest. Australia need to beat India if they are to keep their qualification hopes in their own hands, while India are practically through to the next round, courtesy of their excellent Net Run Rate. But, a loss for Australia directly benefits the Afghanistan team who are to take on Bangladesh next. But, amid this tense situation in the Group 1 of the Super 8s, the rain gods in St. Lucia could play spoilsport and decide the teams' semi-finals fate on their own.
Afghanistan augmented their chances of making their first-ever World Cup semifinal when they down the mighty Australian on Saturday.
As things stand, India lead the group followed by Australia and Afghanistan -- both on 2 points each -- and Bangladesh are last.
Rohit Sharma and his men are favourites to qualify for the final-four with a net run rate of 2.425 while Australia (0.223) have superior NRR compared to Afghanistan (-0.650).
Afghanistan will watch the India-Australia clash with bated breath, hoping that Rohit Sharma's men stand on the winning side -- a result that will hand them a golden opportunity to qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals when they take on Bangladesh in their Super Eights match.
But, if rain washes out the game, both Australia and India get one point each. Such a situation would push India into the semi-finals as group winners. Australia, in that case, would hope for Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan to go through. A win for Afghanistan against Bangladesh, no matter the margin, would take them through to the last four.
Rashid Khan and Co. will hope India do them a favour by beating Australia so that they enter the clash knowing exactly what they require to do for making the semifinals, or for the weather gods to washout the game.
But if Australia win, it will be an uphill task for Afghanistan to overtake the former champions on NRR. Having said that, Afghanistan will be super high on confidence having exacted revenge from Australia for their ODI World Cup loss last year in Mumbai.
Irrespective of the India-Australia result, the Afghans would fancy their chances against a down-and-out Bangladesh, who seemed happy just to progress to the Super Eights.
That Afghanistan have the skills and mindset to excel in the format is not up for debate. They have proved that they are no longer a side reliant on just their bowling unit to eke out victories.
With PTI Inputs