Pakistan’s semi-final qualification scenario: What winning margin do they need against Sri Lanka?

Pakistan have managed to score 212 in their all-important Super Eights game against Sri Lanka. At the innings break, they were the happier side, as a thumping 176-run partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan lifted them to a more than decent total.

Pakistan’s points and NRR

But the job is still only half done. To reach the semi-finals, Pakistan need not only to win the game but also secure a significant Net Run Rate boost to move past New Zealand. Currently, Pakistan sit third with one point and an NRR of -0.461. Their first Super Eights fixture was washed out, while they lost the next to England, jeopardizing the semi-final chances.

A win against Sri Lanka will fetch them two points, and the margin by which they get over the line will help improve their NRR.

Bowl out Sri Lanka under 147

To qualify for the semi-finals, Pakistan must bowl Sri Lanka out for under 147. This means they need to win the game by 65 runs.

In case they do go through to the next stage, they will cross swords with South Africa in the first semi-final in Colombo. However, if they fail to overhaul New Zealand’s NRR of 1.390 and/or lose the game, the first semi-final will be shifted to Kolkata, with the Kiwis facing South Africa instead.

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