How Can Afghanistan Qualify For Super 4 In 2023 World Cup?

Unless a major intricacy shows up in the next week or so, Afghanistan are one of the three teams eligible to stake a claim on the fourth available spot on ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table. If truth be told, Afghanistan can even enter the semi-finals as the third-ranked team if they win all their remaining matches and further hope that certain results go as per their wish.

Currently playing their seventh match against Netherlands in Lucknow, Afghanistan look strongly placed to register their fourth victory of the tournament at a stadium which was their home ground whilst hosting West Indies across the three formats four years ago.

Assuming that the same happens, Hashmatullah Shahidi‘s men will equal Australia and New Zealand with eight points to their name tonight. With two more matches remaining, Afghanistan will have a real chance to further enhance what has already become a memorable competition for them on the back of defeating England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Having said that, their real chance will lie during face-offs against Australia and South Africa in Mumbai and Ahmedabad respectively next week. While victories in both those contests will all but guarantee Afghanistan a third spot, even beating one of those two formidable oppositions could power them to Super 4 supposing they maintain a healthy NRR (Net Run Rate).

Afghanistan Have Never Qualified For ODI World Cup Semi-Finals

Unlike arch-rivals Pakistan, Afghanistan are in a better position to qualify for the second round of a World Cup for the first time in history.

In what is their third World Cup campaign, Afghanistan’s first-ever World Cup victory had come in their third match against Scotland in Dunedin eight years ago. Since then, Afghanistan suffered 14 successive losses (three in 2015, nine in 2019 and two this year) before winning another ODI in a global competition.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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