While Australia and South Africa have confirmed their clash in the final four, it is still unclear as to who India – the top ranked side in the league stage – will play in the semifinal. Who they lock horns with will decide whether the hosts play their first knockout match at the Wankhede Stadium or the Eden Gardens.
India became the first team to make way into the final four of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The hosts, who remain unbeaten after eight games, are top of the table and will finish as the first ranked team in the league stage.
However, even with a confirmed position on the points table, there’s still no confirmation on where Rohit Sharma and Co will play their semifinal. While the first ranked team is scheduled to play the fourth ranked side in the first semifinal in Mumbai, that won’t be the case if it’s Pakistan who occupy the bottom spot among the four semifinalists.
It was predetermined by the ICC and the BCCI ahead of the tournament on the behest of PCB’s request owing to security concerns that if Pakistan make it to the semis, they will play it in Kolkata, no matter what place they occupy in the points table.
The Eden Gardens is originally scheduled to host the second semifinal (between the second and third placed team). But if India and Pakistan occupy the first and fourth spot respectively, the venue shall be hosting the first semifinal. As a result, the second semifinal will move to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, as opposed to vice-versa which’ll hold true if any other team finishes fourth instead of Pakistan.
It must be noted that there is no official confirmation yet on when the India vs Pakistan semi-final will be played should that latter qualify.
The governing body of cricket in Pakistan had requested the organizers to not host any of the team’s games in the city of Mumbai. Babar Azam and Co have played all of their league stage matches across five off the 10 venues at the World Cup – Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.
As it stands, New Zealand and Afghanistan challenge Pakistan for the fourth spot.
As for the second and third ranked teams in the points table, South Africa and Australia have locked in their clash in one of the two semifinals.
Source:indianexpress.com