Bangladesh was expecting at least one associate nation in their Super 12 round group, but Namibia gave a huge blow to that after beating Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the T20 World Cup 2022 opener yesterday. The Tigers now should be ready to face both Sri Lanka and West Indies, along with India, Pakistan, and South Africa in their group fixtures.
How can Sri Lanka and the West Indies end up in Group 2?
Two teams from each of the two groups in the first round will advance to the Super 12s. The winner of group A and runner-up of group B will play in the next round's Group 1. On the other hand, the winner of Group B and the runner-up of Group A will play in Group 2 of the Super 12 phase.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Namibia stuns in opening match by beating Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, Namibia, Netherlands, and UAE are battling each other to finish in the top two in the first round's Group A. The West Indies, Scotland, Zimbabwe, and Ireland are playing against each other for a spot in the next round. If Sri Lanka finishes second in group A and the West Indies finishes first in Group B in the first round, then both teams will play in Group 2 in the Super 12 phase.
Group A Scenario
The Sri Lankan team was considered the favourite to finish top of Group 1 prior to the tournament. But after a comprehensive defeat by Namibia on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s possibility of finishing top of the points table is not in their hands anymore. The Lankan side’s main priority at the moment is to win the remaining fixtures of the group and earn a place in the Super 12s.
Namibia, on the other hand, will finish top of the group if they win all of their matches. However, if they lose one match in their remaining two fixtures of this round, they could end up being second depending on how Sri Lanka performs in their other games.
The Netherlands started their campaign with a 3-wicket victory over the UAE on Sunday. They have a good chance to advance to the next round if they beat Namibia. The UAE is the weakest team in this group and will likely lose all of their fixtures. If Namibia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka all have two points each, then net run rates will decide which two teams will advance to the Super 12s.
Read: Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2022 Squad: Who’s in, who’s out?
Bangladesh’s fixtures against Sri Lanka and West Indies if they meet in the Super 12s
If Sri Lanka play in Group 2 in the Super 12s, Bangladesh will start their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a match against the Lankan side at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart, on October 24. If the West Indies play in Group 2, Bangladesh will meet them on October 30 at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Bangladesh’s remaining Super 12 round fixtures are against South Africa on October 27 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They will play against India on November 2 at the Adelaide Oval, and at the same venue, they will meet Pakistan on November 6.
Bottom Line
After a disappointing loss to Namibia, Sri Lanka has a good chance of finishing second in Group A. On the other hand, the West Indies are the hot favourites to win Group B. It would be quite concerning for Bangladesh's bid to win at least one game at the T20 World Cup 2022 if both Sri Lanka and the West Indies qualified to play in Group 2 of the Super 12.
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