How can Afghanistan’s victory over Australia affect the points table of ODI World Cup 2023?

Afghanistan has a great chance of reaching the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup after beating England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.

The Afghanistan cricket team was the main talking point at the 2023 ODI World Cup for all the right reasons. (Image: ACB)

Mumbai: Afghanistan will be keen to continue their massive killing spree in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup and keep their semi-final hopes alive when they take on mighty Australia at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. With India and Australia already in the semi-finals, the battle for the last two spots will intensify as the tournament nears its end. Five-time champions Australia are third with 10 points and will certainly reach the last four. New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan, each with eight points, will battle for the final knockout spot in a three-way battle.

After winning just one match in their two previous World Cup appearances, Afghanistan became the talk of the ongoing edition after beating defending champions England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands to move sixth in the table. Notably, Afghanistan have also booked their first ICC Champions Trophy spot, which will be held in Pakistan in 2025.

What happens in the points table if Afghanistan beats Australia?

With the kind of form the Hasmatullah Shahidi-led party is in, Australia cannot take the opposition lightly. The battle promises to be an enticing spectacle given Afghanistan’s battery of spinners and determined batsmen eager to deliver a strong show against Australia.

If Afghanistan win, they will leapfrog New Zealand and Pakistan within 10 points to move into the top four, while Australia will remain in third place. Both Australia and Afghanistan will have the same number of points after eight matches, but the former will take the top spot thanks to a better net run rate.

How can Afghanistan qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup?

Assuming Afghanistan beat Australia, they must win their last league match against South Africa on November 10 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They would also pray that New Zealand (against Sri Lanka) and Pakistan (against England) lose their respective final matches.

Even if Australia loses to Afghanistan, the Aussies will need to beat Bangladesh in their final match to reach the last four. Australia needs just one win from their remaining two matches to become the third semi-finalist.

For Afghanistan, who have lost all three ODIs to Australia, including two in the World Cup, it will be imperative to build on the success they achieved this edition. Although defeating Australia will be a herculean task for Afghanistan but impossible.

The consistency shown by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (282 runs), Rahmat Shah (264), Azmatullah Omarzai (234), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (234) and Ibrahim Zadran (232) with the bat has seen three consecutive victories in the chase against Afghanistan, but played against Australia will be a different game.