Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
T20 World Cup 2022 Group A qualification scenarios | What are the qualification scenarios for Group A of the T20 World Cup?
The 2022 T20 World Cup has already delivered some memorable moments. Group A has been one to savour, with Namibia’s upset of Sri Lanka the highlight, along with a magnificent hat-trick for UAE legspinner Karthik Meiyappan against the Asia Cup champions.
With all teams having played two matches, the question of which two teams will qualify to the Super 12s remains up in the air. Let’s have a look at some of the scenarios ahead of the final Group A matchday on Thursday.
Group A Qualification Scenarios: Who will qualify for the Super 12s?
1. Netherlands
- 4 points
- NRR: +0.149
- Final match: Sri Lanka
Netherlands moved to first place after a crucial, tight win over Namibia in a thriller on Tuesday. They pulled off a very similar run chase two days earlier against UAE, reaching the modest target of 112 in the 20th over.
The Dutch have bowled beautifully, and have held their nerve in key moments. However, while they sit pretty at the top, their qualification is far from guaranteed. Sri Lanka, after their dominant win over UAE, now have a better net run rate than Scott Edwards’ team. So, a defeat by any margin against Sri Lanka will leave the Dutch relying on UAE to beat Namibia.
If they win, they will top the group and move to Group 1 that currently features Australia, New Zealand, England and Afghanistan.
2. Namibia
- 2 points
- NRR: +1.277
- Final match: UAE
It was a heartbreaking defeat for Namibia against Netherlands, especially considering David Wiese and JJ Smit batted just nine balls between them. Despite the loss, the Gerhard Erasmus’ team is still well-placed to qualify thanks to their strong net run rate. In fact, the equation is simple: beat UAE by any margin.
Sri Lanka and Netherlands play in the earlier game. If both Sri Lanka and Namibia win, both nations will go through on net run rate given they are already superior to the Netherlands’ +0.149. Who finishes first or second depends on the net run rate, too. If Netherlands and Namibia win, Sri Lanka will be eliminated.
3. Sri Lanka
- 2 points
- NRR: +0.600
- Final match: Netherlands
After the initial hiccup against Namibia, Sri Lanka now have their fate in their own hands. If they beat Netherlands, they will qualify to the Super 12s. Which group they end up in depends on the margin of victory, as well as how Namibia fares against UAE.
If they lose, they will need UAE to beat Namibia by a hefty margin to achieve a miracle qualification.
4. UAE
- 0 points
- NRR: -2.028
- Final match: Namibia
Mathematically, UAE can still qualify. But, they need a miracle. First, they require Netherlands to beat Sri Lanka. Second, they need to thrash Namibia by a massive margin to turn around their net run rate of -2.028 compared to the African nation’s much superior +1.277. Not even the best Stake.com welcome & sign-up offers can cover such a low probability.
The Super 12 stage begins on Saturday with Australia taking on New Zealand at the SCG, followed by England vs Afghanistan at Perth.
