ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Can India still qualify for the semi-final?

ÌThe ongoing ICC Women's World Cup 2022 has been topsy-turvy for India so far. While they have been fairly decent, they haven't really been able to dominate the tournament so far. The Asian side have only been good in patches.

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They recently defeated Bangladesh by 110 runs on Tuesday. So far, India have won three games but have also lost three games. Thus, they currently sit at six points, and are placed third on the points table.

Although India and West Indies have the same number of points, the Mithali Raj-led side are placed higher due to a superior net run rate. As far as the table toppers are concerned, Australia have already booked a spot for the semi-final. So how does India do the same? How can the finalists of the previous edition qualify for the semi-final?

First things first, they need to beat South Africa in their last game of the group stage. Their victory against Bangladesh has massively boosted their net run rate. However, if India doesn't beat South Africa in their next game, then they will have to depend on the results of other games to go their way. This is because if India does end up losing to the Sune Luus-led side then they end up with 6 points and will have to wait for the result between West Indies and South Africa.

If the women in maroon win, then they will join South Africa with eight points and the two could enter the semifinal. In another scenario, if India and West Indies both win over the Proteas and if England also win their remaining two fixtures, it could come down to the net run rate. In that case, India would be hoping through squeeze through the top four.

Besides, the Stafaine Taylor-led side have a poor net run rate (-0.085). Having seen all the scenarios, India would want to make it to the semis without hoping for the permutations and combinations to go their way and thus, would want to win their next match. It is to be noted that England and West Indies have a superior net run rate as well. Hence, the remaining fixtures of the group stage would be exciting to watch.