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3 min readFeb 25, 2026 07:36 PM IST
India's players players stand up for the national anthems before the start of the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Reigning champions India can still qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals, but their fate hinges on how the remaining Super 8 matches unfold.
With the Group 1 table still open, results involving South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe will ultimately determine who progresses to the last four. While several mathematical combinations are possible, India’s chances improve significantly if they take care of their own results.
Scenario 1: The most realistic path
On paper, the most straightforward scenario is one in which both India and South Africa win their remaining matches. If India defeat Zimbabwe and West Indies, while South Africa also collect victories in their fixtures, the Proteas would likely finish at the top of the group standings.
India, in that case, would progress to the semifinals in second place. Under this combination, other outcomes in the group become less significant as long as India secure maximum points from their remaining games.
Scenario 2: South Africa lose both games
Another route opens up if South Africa falter in their next two matches. Should that happen and India manage to win both of theirs, the two teams advancing from the group would be India and the West Indies. In this scenario, India’s qualification would become much clearer because it would reduce the possibility of net run rate coming into play late in the group stage.
Scenario 3: Can India still top the group?
A mathematical chance still exists for India to finish at the top of the group. For that to happen, India must win both their remaining matches while West Indies should defeat South Africa. If that occurs, the standings at the top could tighten considerably, potentially resulting in either a two-way or even a three-way tie depending on the outcome of South Africa’s clash with Zimbabwe.
However, this remains a difficult scenario to materialise. Both the West Indies (+5.350) and South Africa (+3.800) significantly boosted their net run rate with wins in their opening Super 8 matches against Zimbabwe and India respectively. It would mean India would likely need commanding victories in both their remaining matches to move ahead on this metric if the table ends up tied on points.
Scenario 4: Scheduling could help India
One advantage for India is the scheduling of their matches. Their final Super 8 fixture – against West Indies in Kolkata – will be played after the South Africa versus Zimbabwe contest in Delhi on Sunday. That could prove useful because India will go into the match with clarity on what exactly is required, especially if net run rate becomes a decisive factor.
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At this point, the equation is simple for India: win both remaining matches and keep their semifinal hopes firmly alive. But with multiple teams still in contention, even small margins could end up shaping who advances to the last four.
Based in Mumbai, Shankar Narayan has over five years of experience and his reporting has ranged from the Ranji Trophy to ICC World Cups, and he writes extensively on women’s cricket. ... Read More
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