The presence of Zimbabwe with India South Africa and West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 8 round at the T20 World Cup makes semifinal qualification easier for other teams according to some observers. The group matches will present challenges for every team because Zimbabwe has become stronger while remaining undefeated in the tournament. The teams in Group 1 completed the group stage without losing any matches.
Zimbabwe deserves praise for their best cricket performance which you can see when they defeated Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super 8 round after winning three out of their four group matches with one match being a washout. The team succeeded in their chase for 179 runs which resulted in victory against Sri Lanka at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo with Brian Bennett and Sikandar Raza leading their efforts.
India, South Africa face difficult path to semifinal qualification
India and South Africa present themselves as the strongest candidates to reach the T20 World Cup semifinals based on their current performance. The West Indies who won the 2016 championship when the tournament last visited India remain a team that should not be overlooked. The West Indies team achieves its highest performance level when most people doubt their chances of success. The team from Zimbabwe continues to perform well because their players show strong determination throughout their matches.
India and South Africa must play their strongest cricket against all teams in their group when they compete on Sunday to achieve knockout stage qualification at the major tournament.
A Group 2 match presents itself as an accessible challenge.
Unversed people do not know that the Super 8 round Group 2 consists of Pakistan England Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The group presents its own unique appeal because all teams participating in this contest lost one match during the group stage. The teams in this competition lost one match during the group stage while Sri Lanka failed to perform at their full ability. The three teams which emerged from this stage defeated their opponents who ranked lower than thembut lost to a nation which held full member status.
The West Indies defeated England while New Zealand lost to South Africa and Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat against India. Sri Lanka became the sole team of this group which defeated a team with a higher ranking but lost to a team with a lower ranking. The group remained unbeaten and finished first in the points table.
The Super 8 matches from both groups create fascinating entertainment while its difficult to forecast which teams will reach the semifinals. All matches will proceed until the final moments and it remains to be seen if Zimbabwe will continue their underdog story after the Super 8 round ends.
