India's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Semifinal Opponent Almost Confirmed! Take a Look at Who Men in Blue will Face in CWC Semis on November 15

The battle lines are drawn. Well, not clearly but unless there's a massive miracle of any sort, we know who the four semifinalists of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 are. India have had an unscathed campaign so far, winning eight out of eight matches pretty handsomely and securing the top spot on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table. The Men in Blue are gunning for their first ICC title in 12 years and have had everything going their way. Two more matches remain in the knockout stage and India will have the opportunity of being the ODI world champions once again. But who will India play in the semifinals? ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table Updated.

The Men in Blue have been by far the best side and have functioned as a well-oiled outfit, doing fine in all aspects of their game. India still have a group match against the Netherlands on November 12, a game which India is expected to win and finish the group stage with a 100% unbeaten record. Till now, three teams were in the mix for the semifinals but with New Zealand's victory over Sri Lanka, it is pretty much evident who the Men in Blue are going to face in their knockout game on November 15. Pakistan although can still go up to 10 points if they beat England but their Net Run Rate (NRR) is what is going to keep them out of the World Cup semifinals for a second straight edition. Their best finish can be at number five, a position where they had ended their 2019 campaign as well. ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Semifinals Schedule, Who Plays Who? Match Timings in IST, Venues and Teams for Semis 1 and 2.

India's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Semifinal Opponent Confirmed (Almost)!

Unless there's something unbelievable happening, India will face New Zealand in the first semifinal of the ICC World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue have a shot at redemption as it was the Black Caps who had shown them the door back in the 2019 World Cup, a defeat that still causes a lot of hurt in the hearts of every Indian cricket fan. That MS Dhoni run out spelled the end of India's hopes for a third World Cup title in 2019 but Rohit Sharma's troops have reignited that fire of hope and an enthralling contest is expected to take place. New Zealand would aim to make it the final of a World Cup for a third consecutive time while India will look to seal a third title.

Pakistan are mathematically in the race but would need to beat England by an improbable margin of around 287 runs while batting first and with about 284 balls remaining while batting second. Pakistan will have to make 400 while batting first and ensure England get bundled for 112. But that is a big task at hand and not something one would expect to happen. Afghanistan were in contention but have been officially eliminated.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 10, 2023 06:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).