India booked their place in the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal with a convincing 24-run victory over Australia in a high-octane Super Eight clash. Chasing a mammoth 206-run target, Australia fell short, managing only 181 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Rohit Sharma was once again the star for India, smashing a blistering 92 off just 41 deliveries. His knock, laced with seven fours and eight sixes, laid the foundation for India’s strong total. Suryakumar Yadav provided valuable support with a quickfire 31 off 16 balls. While the Australian bowlers were expensive, Mitchell Starc (2-45) and Marcus Stoinis (2-56) managed to pick up two wickets apiece. Josh Hazlewood, however, was the standout with a miserly spell of 1/14 in his four overs.

Australia’s chase started brightly with Travis Head scoring a valiant 76 off 43 balls, but wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving them with too much to do in the end. Mitchell Marsh chipped in with a 37-run knock, but the rest of the batting order failed to fire. Arshdeep Singh (3/37) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/24) were the pick of the Indian bowlers, effectively stifling the Australian chase.

T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal scenario

With this win, India not only secured their semi-final spot but also potentially eliminated a major contender in Australia. The result now throws the qualification race in Group 1 wide open. Afghanistan’s fate rests on their final Super Eight match against Bangladesh. A win for Afghanistan will see them through to the semis.

However, Bangladesh’s qualification scenario is a complex one. They need a win by a significant margin to pip Afghanistan based on net run rate. Batting first, they need a win by at least 62 runs. If they bowl first, they need to restrict Afghanistan to a score below 110 in 12 overs or 130 in 12.2 overs, and so on for each additional over.

Australia, however, can still sneak into the semi-finals if Bangladesh win, but by a smaller margin. If Bangladesh win by exactly 61 runs, both teams will have the same net run rate, but Australia will qualify on the basis of their head-to-head win over Bangladesh in the Super Eight stage.

The final match in Group 1 promises to be a tense affair with high stakes for all three teams involved. The cricketing world will be eagerly watching to see who emerges victorious and joins South Africa and England in the semi-finals.

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