State of Play: Equation for teams in race for semis at T20WC

After an exciting group phase, eight teams - the Super Eight - remain in contention for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 crown.

In this stage, the teams have been divided into two groups of four, with only the top two from each of the groups progressing to the semi-finals. While India, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe make up Group 1, Group 2 comprises of England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Here's where all the teams stand:

Group 1

West Indies, 2 points, +5.350 NRR

The Windies' mission to claim a third Men's T20 World Cup title remains on track, edging closer to final four qualification with a swashbuckling win over Zimbabwe.

Making the most of a second - and then third - chance, Shimron Hetmyer brought the house down with an eye-popping 85 off 34 deliveries, helping set up a booming total of 254/6 from their 20 overs, which was way too many for Zimbabwe to get near.

Their 107-run win gives the West Indies a superior net run-rate position which could prove pivotal as more Group 1 matches play out. They are most likely now just one win away from semi-finals qualification.

South Africa, 2 points, +3.800

South Africa began their Super Eight campaign with a statement 76-run win over co-hosts and defending champions India. The Proteas recovered from 20/3 to post a challenging target of 188. David Miller (63) and Dewald Brevis (45) led the recovery with a 97-run partnership.

Their bowlers then put in a masterclass in pace variation to skittle out a power-packed Indian batting line-up for 11 in 18.5 overs. While the win went a long way in boosting their credentials as one of the title contenders, it has also helped them to a healthy net run rate that may be difficult to beat.

India, 0 points, -3.800

The loss against South Africa was India’s first in 13 matches at the T20 World Cup. While India’s top-order has not been firing on all-cylinders throughout the tournament, they had been lucky that one of the batters had stepped up and taken the game to the rivals.

But on Sunday, none of the batters were able to find their footing, bar Shivam Dube whose 42 was too little too late for India. India have lost a wicket in the opening over in each of their last three matches – against Pakistan, Netherlands and South Africa.

The silver lining for the co-hosts was the start provided by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, as they snapped the South African top three inside the Powerplay.

With the defeat to the Proteas, pre-tournament favourites India now find themselves in a tricky situation. They will be looking to beat West Indies and Zimbabwe and have some control over their chances of making the knockouts.

Zimbabwe, 0 points, -5.350

Zimbabwe's dream run at the tournament hit a major hurdle after their brutal loss to the Windies, which leaves them further behind India on net run-rate.

To now be any chance of progressing past the Super Eight stage, they must now beat both India and South Africa convincingly.

But hats off to the African nation. They have proved they belong in the company of world cricket's elite when it comes to the shorter format. They will want to bounce back strong when they meet India in Chennai on Friday.

Group 2

England, 2 points, +2.550 NRR

After surviving some anxious moments in the group stage, England seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. They opened their Super Eight campaign with a 51-run win over Sri Lanka in Kandy on Sunday.

Sri Lankan spinners thwarted England early on and were able to restrict them to 146/9. Opener Phil Salt was the one that held the English innings together with a well-paced 62. But co-hosts Sri Lanka could not get a partnership going and were bowled out for 95 in 16.4 overs. Will Jacks, who had contributed 21 with the bat, put on an all-round display, claiming 3/22 to script the England fightback.

One more win is all that's required now for England; either beating Pakistan in the tournament's next contest or New Zealand in their last Super Eight clash.

Sri Lanka, 0 points, -2.550

Since beating Australia in Kandy last week, Sri Lanka have struggled to maintain the momentum. They lost the final group game to Zimbabwe and began Super Eights with a big loss to England.

While the Sri Lankan bowlers, especially the spinners, have been doing well in home conditions, they have been set back by inconsistency in batting.

With Pakistan and New Zealand earning one point each, their margin of error has shrunk further and have to win the next two games to stay in contention for a semi-final spot.

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