CWC 2023: Can today’s win guarantee India semi -final berth?

With two-thirds of the round robin stage of the Cricket World Cup 2023 being completed, it is that time of the event when the fans pull out their calculators. The race for the 4th spot seems to be getting tighter with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan being close yet far from it. India and South Africa however appear to be more comfortably placed. India is yet to be defeated in the tournament and a win against England would propel the team to 12 points. 

Is it mathematically possible to miss out on a semi final berth after having 12 points on the table? A win today would ensure that Pakistan, Netherlands, England and Bangladesh would never be able to match up to India on the points table. However, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan who face off tomorrow could be up to the task, at least on paper. There is a possibility for both these teams to get to 12 points with four other teams with the same points or more. Therefore to undoubtedly surmount its place for the knockout stages India would still need one more win in its piggy bank. India’s squad remains unchanged after their win against New Zealand. It would be interesting to see how this combination plays out in the spin-friendly conditions of Lucknow.