T20 World Cup 2024: Can Pakistan Still Make it to the Super 8s?

The Pakistan cricket team is struggling in the T20 World Cup 2024 after losing their first two matches. They lost to the USA and then narrowly to India by six runs in New York. In the match against India, Pakistan couldn’t chase down a target of 120 runs, finishing with a score of 113/7. They were in a strong position until Mohammad Rizwan, their key player, was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah, which shifted the game in India’s favor.

During their chase, Pakistan faced a challenging 36 deliveries without hitting any boundaries, which added immense pressure. This second loss has put Pakistan in a difficult situation for advancing to the Super 8s. Despite being finalists in the last T20 World Cup, they have not performed well in their matches so far. Even though their bowlers did well against India and set a decent stage for the batsmen, the batters couldn’t handle the pressure and collapsed towards the end, needing about 30 runs in the final five or six overs.

With only two games left in the group stage, Pakistan must win both to have any chance of advancing. Their next match against Canada on June 11 is particularly crucial. Canada has already beaten Ireland and could pose a serious threat to Pakistan. Additionally, Ireland recently won a T20 series against Pakistan, adding another layer of challenge.

For Pakistan to reach the Super 8s, they need a few things to go their way. Firstly, they need to win their remaining matches against Canada and Ireland. Secondly, they need help from other teams. India must win their last two group games, and the USA must lose to both Ireland and Canada. This scenario would allow Pakistan to tie with the USA on points and have a chance to secure the second spot in Group A based on Net Run Rate (NRR).

Currently, India and the USA are leading the group with two wins each and are in strong positions to advance. Canada’s win over Ireland has kept them in the running too. If Canada defeats Pakistan, it would eliminate Pakistan from the tournament. Therefore, Pakistan not only needs to win but also needs to win convincingly to boost their NRR.

If Pakistan manages to win their upcoming games, it will directly benefit India, ensuring their spot in the Super 8s. Pakistan and the USA would then be tied, and their NRR would determine who advances. Unfortunately for Pakistan, their NRR suffered due to the loss against India.

At the moment, India leads Group A with an impressive NRR of +1.455, while the USA follows with an NRR of +0.626. On the other hand, Canada, Ireland, and Pakistan have negative NRRs.

What If Pakistan Fails to Qualify for the Super 8s?

If Pakistan doesn’t make it to the Super 8 stage, they will have to go through the qualifiers for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. This would be a significant setback for a team that was a finalist in the previous tournament. The qualifiers are always tough and unpredictable, adding more pressure and challenges for Pakistan to secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup.

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