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The ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023 has already reached the halfway mark. Prior to the tournament, judging by the current form and past results, several experts had predicted that England and Pakistan will have cake walk to enter the semifinals of the mega event. However, the defending champions and the Green Army are currently struggling to enter the knockout stage and the predictions have woefully gone wrong. Currently, their chances of progressing to the knockouts look bleak.
However, plenty of matches are still to be played in the league stage. With four league games left to be played, those who are in a strong position in the points table can still slip. Moreover, those who are in the bottom half still have their chances to bounce back and move into the top four.
Based on the current form and momentum, let’s have a prediction about the the semifinalists of the mega event.
India
By winning all of their five matches, India are currently occupying the top spot on the points table with 10 points in their kitty. The Men in Blue have lived up to their top billing with some stellar shows. They have picked up great momentum and look unstoppable going by the current form. They will face defending champions England on October 29 before facing Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Netherlands in the league stage. A win will be enough to seal India’s spot in the semifinals.
New Zealand
The Black Caps looked unstoppable with four successive wins until they were beaten by hosts India. They are currently occupying the second spot in the points table. Now, they face a daunting task of facing four strong teams- Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. With couple of wins, they are expected to make it to the last four.
South Africa
The Proteas have posted three 350+scores in the tournament en route to comprehensive victories over Australia, Sri Lanka, and England. However, they were beaten by minnows Netherlands which is the only blot in their campaign in the World Cup so far. They will next face Pakistan, New Zealand, India, and Afghanistan in their next four matches. Based on their current form, the Aiden Markram side is expected to win at least two matches and seal their spot in the top four.
Australia
Australia started their campaign on a disastrous note by losing their first two matches. However, they have bounced back well with three successive wins. The next two games for the five time champions against New Zealand and England are crucial for their campaign in the mega event. A victory in at least one of these two matches paired with wins against Afghanistan and Bangladesh will ensure their place in the knockout stage.
