Pakistan is facing potential early elimination from the T20 World Cup 2024 after a narrow 6-run defeat to arch-rivals India on June 9 in New York.
This followed their unexpected loss to tournament co-hosts USA, putting their chances of advancing in jeopardy.
The Babar Azam-led side suffered one of the biggest World Cup upsets on June 6 in Dallas, Texas, losing to the USA in a Super Over. Just three days later, they face the prospect of an early exit after a defeat to India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
Scenarios for Pakistan’s Qualification to T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8
Winless in two matches, Pakistan currently sits in fourth place in the Group A standings. India and the USA occupy the first and second spots, respectively, with Canada in third and Ireland at the bottom.
Read More: Mohsin Naqvi hints at big changes in Pakistan Cricket Team
If the standings remain unchanged, Pakistan will face an early exit, returning home sooner than expected. However, there is still a glimmer of hope. Babar and his team will need nothing short of a miracle to advance to the Super 8 from this position.
First, they must win their upcoming matches against Canada on June 11 and Ireland on June 16 by a significant margin. Furthermore, they need to hope that the USA loses their remaining matches against India on June 12 and Ireland on June 14 by a considerable margin to stay in contention.
With a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.150, Pakistan faces a daunting task to surpass USA’s NRR of +0.626. However, if the USA suffers heavy defeats in their remaining two matches, a scenario that seems improbable, it could still provide the Asian giants with a slim chance of qualification.
Ireland has previously upset Pakistan in past World Cups, and Canada has shown resilience in their first-ever T20 World Cup. Pakistan was expected to join India from Group A in the Super 8s, but the 2022 runners-up might soon face an early exit from the USA and Caribbean.
