Will South Africa play the semi-finals after 10 years: America was defeated, now one more win is necessary; India will face Afghanistan today

South Africa made a great start in the Super-8 stage of the T20 World Cup. The team defeated the USA by 18 runs in Antigua on Wednesday. This victory has increased the African team’s chances of playing in the T20 World Cup semi-finals after 10 years. The team had last reached the semi-finals in 2014, but had to face defeat from India.

In this story, we will know all the equations of Team India along with South Africa. Along with this, we will also take a look at the top players of the tournament…

Match left between England and West Indies
There are 4 teams in each group of Super-8. Top-2 teams from each group will play the semi-finals. South Africa is in Group-2. Even after winning over America, it has two big challenges ahead of it, the team will face England on 21st June and West Indies on 24th June. It will be difficult for South Africa to win the remaining 2 matches of Super-8, but if the team defeats both the teams then playing the semi-finals will be 100% confirmed.

The team can reach the final 4 even if it wins one more match, but in this condition South Africa will have to depend on the results of the other teams. At the same time, if 3 teams win 2 matches, then the run rate will also become the basis for qualification.

America’s path became difficult
After losing the first match in Super-8, America’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals were dashed. The team also has two matches left against England and West Indies, now they will have to win both the matches to enter the semi-finals. However, this seems very difficult to happen, because both the other teams have won the T-20 World Cup two times each. Whereas America is playing the T-20 World Cup for the first time.

What are the equations of Team India?
India is in Group-1 of Super-8, this group also has Australia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. If we look at the T-20 record against all three teams, then India’s chances of playing the semi-finals are very high. India has never lost to Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the T-20 World Cup. Team India has an upper hand against Australia as well.

India’s first match will be against Afghanistan in Barbados today. If Team India wants to reach the semi-finals, it will have to win all three matches in the Super-8. The team can make it to the knockout stage even by winning 2 matches, but in this condition India will have to depend on the results and run rate of the other teams.

Team India has played 4 semi-finals
Team India has played semi-finals 4 times in 8 T20 World Cups so far. In the last tournament in 2022, India also played the semi-finals, but had to face defeat by 10 wickets against champion England. Apart from this, India also played semi-finals in 2007, 2014 and 2016. India lost in 2016, but reached the finals of the remaining 2 tournaments.

Afghanistan fielded its strongest team this time
Team India cannot underestimate Afghanistan either, because this time they have fielded their strongest team. Afghanistan defeated New Zealand in the group stage and entered the Super-8 stage by winning a total of 3 matches. The team lost only one match, i.e. the win percentage in 4 matches was 75%.

Afghanistan played 6 more T20 World Cups before 2024, but never had such a good win percentage. In 2016, the team won 4 out of 7 matches, here the winning rate was 57%. Apart from this, the team had never won more than 2 matches in the tournament. If Afghanistan defeats India today, then the team can also enter the semi-finals by defeating Bangladesh and Australia.

Now let’s see the top-5 batsmen and top-5 bowlers of this T-20 World Cup…