ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023: How Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Netherlands and Scotland can qualify

The ICC World Cup qualifiers are rapidly heading towards a conclusion. The elimination tournament in Zimbabwe is going to determine the final two teams for the upcoming ODI World Cup, and it is a four-way battle now.

Among the Ten teams which originally started the qualifiers, six have bitten the dust. Former World Champions West Indies got eliminated on Saturday (July 1), while the likes of Ireland, USA departed from group stages itself.

With the final few matches of the super sixes remaining, we will see two top-placed teams qualify for World Cup 2023, and at the moment, there are four teams who remain in the race.

Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Scotland and the Netherlands are the four teams who are still fighting for those two berths. And as we look forward to the final few laps, let's take a look what is the scenario for these four teams to qualify for the World Cup.

ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023 Super Sixes Table

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Pts	NRR	Remaining Matches vs
1. Sri Lanka	3	3	0	6	+1.832	ZIM, WI
2. Zimbabwe	3	3	0	6	+0.752	SL, SCO
3. Scotland	3	2	1	4	+0.188	ZIM, NED
4. Netherlands	3	1	2	2	-0.560	OMN, SCO
5. West Indies (E)	3	0	3	0	-0.510	OMN, SL
6. Oman (E)	3	0	3	0	-2.139	NED, WI

The above table can have a lot of swivels in the next few games. Except for the two bottom teams, the remaining four will be hoping to claim the top two spots at the end of the super sixes.

But what will the teams have to do so that they can absolutely assure their top two status? Check Out here-

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe up next, and a win in that match will ensure their World Cup status later this year in India.

The Lankans can seal the deal with a win as Zimbabwe and Scotland will play each other and only one can reach eight points. Even if they lose against Zimbabwe, they can still qualify with a win against West Indies in the final super sixes match.

But if they lose their remaining two matches, the Lankans can be knocked out as both Zimbabwe and Scotland can have eight points.

Zimbabwe

The hosts Zimbabwe are on six points after three matches. And they would be looking to win over Sri Lanka to further bolster their chances.

Zimbabwe ideally would love a big-margin win against SL, as they have an inferior net run rate at the moment. Hence a tight win over SL can't guarantee their passage to the World Cup as a big defeat against Scotland can jeopardize their chances.

But Zimbabwe will be through to the Finals with a win over Scotland only. Hence a defeat against Sri Lanka doesn't warrant their elimination, but a defeat against Scotland can have worse ramifications.

Scotland

Scotland's ideal scenario is to win their last two matches against Zimbabwe and Netherlands, and a win against Zimbabwe is a must for them as it will give Scotland a massive upsurge.

Two wins can take Scotland to 8 points and Zimbabwe's win over Sri Lanka can leave all of these three teams on 8 points, and NRR will play a part in that case. But a defeat against the hosts can mean curtains for them.

Netherlands

The equation for the Netherlands is simple, but not yet simple. In terms of things which are in their hands, Netherlands will have to get two wins in their last two matches, anything less eliminates them.

But even that won't guarantee their passage as the Dutch will require Zimbabwe to lose their remaining two matches. Ideally Sri Lanka, with a superior NRR can qualify and then the Netherlands will have to hope to topple Scotland and Zimbabwe in the NRRs, as three of them will finish with six points.