Afghanistan have been the talk of the town at the ICC World Cup this year. While not much was expected from Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side, the team have taken world cricket by storm by winning four matches, of which three have been successive.
Road so far
The side had one win in between two previous editions it had earlier played. Notably, in the group stage of the 2015 World Cup the side had beat Scotland by one wicket. Showing much resilience this time, the side went on to beat Netherlands, defending champions England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Can Afghanistan reach ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals?
With the form Afghanistan is in , reaching the semi-finals may not be an impossible task for the team. While it will take on Australia on Tuesday, the side will face South Africa on November 10. Afghanistan will not only have to win both matches, but have to win one of them by a huge margin. Even as South Africa is the second team after India to have already qualified for the semis, Australia is also in the fray to reach the last four stage along with Pakistan and New Zealand.
However, the team will also need some luck in their favour. It will stand a good chance provided New Zealand beat Sri Lanka on November 9 and Pakistan beat England on November 11.
Points table
Currently, Afghanistan is in sixth position with eight points. Apart from Afghanistan, New Zealand and Pakistan also have eight points each. Even as New Zealand and Pakistan have a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.398 and +0.036 respectively, Afghanistan’s NRR is -0.330. Australia is currently in third position with 10 points. The side currently has a NRR of +0.924 from seven matches it has played so far. India and South Africa have already qualified for a semi-final berth.
Winning hearts
It remains to be seen whether Afghanistan will be able to qualify in the last four stage or not. But what’s clear is Afghanistan’s phenomenal rise of late. They have already won the hearts of cricket fans across the globe.