India vs Pakistan Semi-final, World Cup 2023 Scenarios: How Afghanistan Will Decide Fate Of High-octane IND vs PAK Clash In Mumbai

With India and South Africa qualifying for the semi-finals in the ODI World Cup 2023, the fight for the remaining two spots is among Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

With eight consecutive wins and 16 points, India will finish the round-robin stage at the top of the table while South Africa's place in the standings will depend on how the other two teams qualify for the top-four spot.

Currently, South Africa sit at second place with 12 points and have one remaining match against Afghanistan. Australia sit at the third spot with 10 points and have two matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh respectively. A win in either of the matches will make them seal third spot in the table.

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However, losing both games will also give them a chance to qualify for the semis.

New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan fight for fourth spot

For New Zealand and Pakistan, who have one match each in the competition, the road to the knockout stage need a win to seal their berth. New Zealand will take on ousted Sri Lanka in their final match while Pakistan will take on bottom-placed England in their must-win fixture.

Afghanistan's chances for semifinal

With two matches left in the competition, Afghanistan have better chances than Pakistan and New Zealand to secure a semi-final berth. Afghans will compete against strong teams -- Australia and South Africa respectively.

Chances of India vs Pakistan semifinal:

The anticipation for the second India vs Pakistan clash and that too in the semi-final is quite high. India have already done their part and the ball is now in Pakistan's court to set up the second high-octane clash at iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Case 1

For the India vs Pakistan semifinal, Australia and South Africa need to outclass Afghanistan while Sri Lanka have to defeat New Zealand in their last match.

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In that case, Pakistan will finish with 10 points in nine matches and clinch the fourth spot in the standings.

Case 2

If Afghanistan win either of their matches and Pakistan defeat England, in that case, both teams will finish with 10 points and the team with a better net run rate will take fourth place.

Afghanistan will have a daunting task of defeating Australia and South Africa but they are high on confidence in the tournaments with wins over England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. So, a turnaround in either of the clashes can possibly happen.

In their first encounter in the league stage, India crushed Pakistan by seven wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India are set to play their semi-final clash at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15. In case Pakistan qualify for the semis, then the match will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on the same date.