Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, Team India has been in outstanding form in ICC Champions Trophy 2025, securing two consecutive victories, including a six-wicket win over Pakistan.
With these back-to-back wins, India currently sits at the top of the Group A points table with 4 points. However, despite their strong position, a place in the semi-finals is not yet guaranteed, and there remains a scenario where India could still be eliminated.
How can India still miss out on semifinals in Champions Trophy 2025?
India's next and final league match in Champions Trophy 2025 is against New Zealand on Sunday (March 2). While the 'Men in Blue' are currently leading the Group A points table with 4 points, the outcome of other matches could impact their semifinal qualification chances.
New Zealand faces Bangladesh on Monday in Champions Trophy 2025
If Bangladesh (currently 0 points) beats New Zealand (currently 2 points) on Monday, they will move to two points.
In their final group stage match, Bangladesh will play Pakistan. If they win again, Bangladesh will finish group stage with four points.
If India (currently 4 points) loses to New Zealand, the Kiwis will also reach four points at the end of group stage, creating a three-way tie.
Net Run Rate could decide India's fate
If India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh all finish the group stage with four points each, net run rate (NRR) will determine who advances to ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals.
Bangladesh's current NRR is -0.408, but two wins will boost it.
If India suffers a heavy defeat against New Zealand, their NRR could drop, while New Zealand's may improve.
If India falls behind both teams on NRR, they could be knocked out despite winning their first two matches.
Pakistan almost out of contention
Meanwhile, Pakistan is on the verge of elimination from Champions Trophy after losing both their matches. Their NRR of -1.087 is the worst in Group A, making qualification highly unlikely even if they win their last match.
What India needs to do
To avoid any uncertainty, India must aim for a victory against New Zealand to seal their spot in CT 2025 semi-finals. Even a narrow defeat could be enough, depending on how Bangladesh performs in their remaining games. However, a big loss could put India's campaign in jeopardy.