ICC World Cup 2023 Qualification Scenarios: Here’s how Bangladesh can still qualify for semi-final

Bangladesh had started the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on a very positive note. They had defeated the spirited Afghanistan in Dharamsala, on October 7, in a one-sided contest by 6 wickets. But after that, it has been a downward spiral for them.

After warming up against Afghanistan, Bangladesh has faced three big teams in England, New Zealand, and India. And against all these teams, the Shakib Al Hasan-led side have faced comprehensive defeats, to say the least. England hammered 364 runs in Dharamsala with Dawid Malan scoring 140. In response, Bangladesh managed only 227 runs. 

Then New Zealand made a mockery of their 246-run target, in Chennai, as Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell made merry. Despite bowling on a spin-friendly track, Bangladesh only managed to pick up two wickets and Williamson retired hurt after fracturing his thumb on his return. And against India, Bangladesh wilted away a very good start by openers Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan.

After scoring 93 runs for the first wicket, Bangladesh could only manage a final score of 256/8 in 50 overs. In response, Virat Kohli’s 103* and 53 from Shubman Gill were enough for India to win by 7 wickets. With this loss, Bangladesh has just 2 points from 4 games with an NRR of -0.784.

How can Bangladesh still make it into the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals?

Consequently, this means that Bangladesh have 5 matches in their hand to make an impact in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. They will face South Africa at Wankhede on October 24, The Netherlands on October 28, and Pakistan on October 31, both at the iconic Eden Gardens. Thereafter, they will face Sri Lanka in Delhi on November 6, and their last match will be against Australia in Pune on November 11. 

Out of these five matches, Bangladesh has quite a good chance against the Netherlands and Sri Lankan teams. Both of these teams have not fired well, despite Netherlands’ upset win over South Africa. Bangladesh will love playing in Kolkata against the Netherlands and might have a chance to better their NRR as well.

Shakib Al Hasan and Bangla spinners will love bowling on Delhi's pitch against Sri Lanka. But their matches against South Africa and Australia will be tough ones. If Bangladesh manages to win even one of them, they might find themselves in the race for the semi-finals.

Also Check: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table

They will need to win at least 6 matches to be in contention for the top four and have won one match. They need to win at least 4 out of five matches with good NRR and hope for some upsets to happen. While the chances of Bangladesh qualifying for the semis remain bleak, they are certainly not out of the race until they manage to keep winning. Winning all five games will be a herculean task for Bangladesh and Shakib Al Hasan.