Sri Lanka emerged as surprise contenders in the race for the ICC World Cup 2023 after a stunning eight-wicket win against England on Thursday, October 26. The defending champions suffered their fourth loss in five games and now face an impossible job to secure a semifinal berth.
England slipped to ninth position after their huge defeat against Sri Lanka at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. They have managed to bag only two points from five games and have a negative net run rate. With four group-stage games remaining, the Three Lions seems a race against all odds to finish in the top four.
India comfortably dominate the top spot in the World Cup 2023 points table with 10 points in five games and are the only team without a loss. New Zealand and South Africa are also flying high with eight points each while the firing-again Australia occupy the fourth spot with six points.
Sri Lanka lost their opening three games in the tournament but with two wins in two games, they rose to the fifth position in the points table, replacing struggling Pakistan. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan have claimed four points from their five games and remain in the race for the semifinal qualification.
| Teams | Matches played | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Points | Net Run Rate (NRR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1.353 |
| South Africa | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2.370 |
| New Zealand | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1.481 |
| Australia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1.142 |
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.205 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.400 |
| Afghanistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.969 |
| Bangladesh | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.253 |
| England | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.634 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.902 |
