T20 World Cup 2022: India qualify for semi-finals as the Netherlands hand major upset to South Africa

India and South Africa had been just a game away from qualifying for the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 as, before their final games of the Super 12 stage, the two stood at six and five points respectively on their group’s points table. But India’s qualification was confirmed even before they played their final group-stage fixture against Zimbabwe as South Africa lost their game to the Netherlands, which knocked them out of the marquee event.

It was a dead rubber for the Netherlands, but the Dutch players gave their best and played their hearts out in the game. After dominating the first innings, they overpowered the Proteas in the second innings and restricted them from chasing the total. As a result, the Netherlands won the game by 13 runs, which eliminated South Africa from the semi-final race.

South Africa’s loss confirmed India’s place in the semi-final as the Men in Blue rest on top of the table with six points to their name. Of the four games played so far, India has lost just one game. They lost their contest to South Africa which put them on the back foot, but they bagged victories against Pakistan, Netherlands, and Bangladesh to make their case even stronger.

Pakistan and Bangladesh fight for the last semi-final spot

South Africa’s loss to the Dutch side also gave hope to both Pakistan and Bangladesh, who have four points to their name currently. Pakistan and Bangladesh face each other in their final match of the Super 12 stage, and the winning team will overtake South Africa on the points table, also implying that the losing side would be knocked out of the tournament.

It is a crucial fixture for both Bangladesh and Pakistan as a win for either of the sides would ensure them a place in the semi-final. Since India has performed better than the rest at the tournament so far, the Rohit Sharma-led side confirmed themselves a spot in the semi-final with a game to spare. They will either play New Zealand, or England in their knockout game.