The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has almost reached its final stage, with only one place left to book in the semi-final. India, South Africa, and Australia are through, but a few teams are playing to make it to the knockout. New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are the three teams that are fighting for the final spot.
England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Netherlands have been eliminated from the semi-finals. But still, these teams have a lot to play for. As per the statement made by the ICC, the top eight teams, including Pakistan, will qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
That means two teams from the bottom will not feature in the Champions Trophy, and those teams will be seen after the end of the group stage. However, the result of the ENG-NED game has certainly turned the tables. England were at the bottom and have now moved up to 7th place.
Pakistan (the host), India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Afghanistan have made it to the Champions Trophy on the basis of their points. Now, for two spots, England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Netherlands will fight. And here we will talk about the qualification scenario of these four teams, who each have one match left in the ongoing tournament.
Qualification Scenarios for Each team who have been eliminated
England
The defending champion England registered only their second win of the tournament on Wednesday and won by 160 runs against Netherlands. They were sitting at the bottom of the table, and with this win, they have jumped to 7th place with a NRR of -0.885. For them to qualify for the Champions Trophy, they need to win their final group match against Pakistan on Saturday.
Bangladesh
After winning their last match against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh has given itself a chance to qualify for the Champions Trophy. They are currently in 8th place with four points and a NRR of -1.142. They will play their last group match on Saturday against Australia. To qualify, Bangladesh needs to make sure that they beat Australia or England; Sri Lanka and Netherlands lost their last games.
Sri Lanka
Just like England and Bangladesh, the Sri Lankan team is also on four points and has a NRR of -1.160. Sri Lanka will play their final game against New Zealand on Thursday. To qualify for the Champions Trophy, they need to make sure that they beat New Zealand by a good margin, which can improve their NRR. But if they lose, they should pray that England, Bangladesh, and Netherlands lose their final match by a big margin, which looks a bit difficult.
Netherlands
After a 160-run defeat to England on Wednesday, Netherlands has been dropped to 10th place, and it has also affected their NRR, which is -1.635 now. They have only one way to qualify for the Champions Trophy, which is to win their final game by a big margin. Netherlands will face India in Bangalore on Sunday, which will be a difficult game for them. On the other hand, Netherlands should hope that England, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka lose their final matches.
