World Cup 2023: Pakistan Nears Elimination as New Zealand Defeats Sri Lanka

New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the 41st match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The win puts Pakistan closer to elimination as it becomes nearly impossible for the green shirts to qualify for the semi-final.

Pakistan needs a massive victory over England in their last match in Kolkata on November 11.

If Pakistan wants to qualify for the semi-final over New Zealand, it needs to beat England by 287 runs.

It means that if Pakistan bowls first against England, they would have to chase the set target with 284 balls to spare, which means the green shirts have only 16 balls (2.4 overs) to win the game.

Meanwhile, India, South Africa, and Australia have already qualified for the semi-final, while New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are still fighting for the one vacant position.

However, it is safe to assume that New Zealand will move to the semi-final as it seems to be doing very well in the tournament, while Pakistan’s 2.4 over win is impossible without a miracle.

Afghanistan’s next win will also have to be with a huge margin in order to qualify, which is just as difficult and puts the country is tough spot.