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The first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is currently underway in Australia. Eight teams are in action in this round, divided into two groups of four each, as they aim to qualify for the Super-12 stage that starts on Saturday.
Before the multi-team tournament started, many expected Sri Lanka to enter Super 12s from Group A, with the likes of the Netherlands, Namibia and the United Arab Emirates being marked against each other in a three-way fight for the second spot.
However, the situation changed dramatically after Namibia’s win against the Islanders in the opening game. Now the race is open, with all four teams in contention to progress through the Super 12s.
Netherlands – 4 points, NRR +0.149
Currently, the Netherlands are top of Group A with two wins in as many matches, but a defeat against Sri Lanka on Thursday could finish their campaign as their NRR of 0.149 is the lowest among the teams that will finish with four points, considering if Sri Lanka and Namibia win. Hence, if they lose to Sri Lanka, Netherlands will be hoping to see Namibia lose to UAE. Additionally, if one of the two games on Thursday is washed out, the Dutch side will make it to the Super 12s.
Sri Lanka – 2 points, NRR +0.6
There is no doubt that Sri Lanka were the favourite to enter the Super 12s without too much worry, but a loss to Namibia has put their campaign off track. However, the Islanders recovered with a 79-run triumph against UAE to boost their net run-rate. If they manage to beat the Netherlands, the result of Namibia vs UAE will not matter to them. But a defeat will put Sri Lanka in a situation where they have to bank on UAE, who need to beat Namibia by 28 runs or more than Sri Lanka’s losing margin against the Netherlands. Further, if the remaining two Group A games end without results, Sri Lanka will not make it to the next round.
Namibia – 2 points, NRR +1.277
With one win and one loss, Namibia can easily qualify for the Super 12s because of their NRR of 1.277, which is by far the best in their group. If they beat UAE, Namibia would go through to the Super 12s. Even after losing to UAE, Namibia can still qualify, given they lost by 27 runs and the Netherlands beat Sri Lanka in a close game.
UAE – 0 points, NRR -2.028
UAE have lost both their games, but they are mathematically alive in the race to qualify for the Super 12s. They need to beat Namibia by at least 66 runs to go ahead of their NRR and hope Sri Lanka loses to the Netherlands by about 40 runs. If Sri Lanka manage to win against the Netherlands, UAE will automatically be out of the race.
