Team India's semifinals qualification scenario in T20 World Cup 2021

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Dubai, Nov 5: Team India displayed their class and might with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Scotland in the Group 2 Super 12 game in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on Friday (November 5).

The win also ensured that the Virat Kohli-led side lives to fight another day and keep their semifinals hopes alive. The entire match lasted a mere 24.1 overs as India first skittled Scotland for 85 in 17.4 overs and then batted for another 6.3 overs to chase down the paltry target.

India's net run-rate has now jumped to +1.619, which is now best among all six teams, even better than top-placed Pakistan (+1.065). To surpass Afghanistan's current Net Run-Rate of +1.481, India needed to score the required runs in 7.1 overs and KL Rahul (50 off 19 balls) and Rohit Sharma (30 off 16 balls) added 70 in five overs to make sure that they achieve it in style.

The fastest team 50 of this edition came inside four overs and the poor Scotland bowlers had no idea what hit them as they hit a total of 11 fours and four sixes between them. But that was the controllable part of the story.

Birthday boy Kohli won a toss finally on his 33rd birthday and put Scotland into bat. India's seasoned bowlers then made short work of the unheralded batting line-up with both Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja returning with identical career-best T20 figures of 3 for 15.

Jasprit Bumrah (2/10) surpassed Yuzvendra Chahal (63 scalps) to now become India's highest wicket-taker in the shortest version. Plucky left-handed opener George Munsey (24 off 19 balls) clipped Bumrah over square leg for a six and reverse swept Varun Chakravarthy for a boundary to signal positive intent but the gulf in class was always obvious.

Skipper Kyle Coetzer (1) was pegged on the backfoot by a Bumrah yorker first up and then he bowled a slower one which beat the Scotsman all ends up. A lethal Shami (3/15) then sent back the dangerous looking Munsey, who failed to clear mid-on. That was the end of Scotland batting's brief bright spot.

The disciplined Jadeja (3/15) removed Matthew Cross (2), Richie Berrington (0) and Michael Leask (21 off 12 balls) in quick succession to blow away the middle-order.

What are Team India's chances of making it to the play-offs:

India's fate will now be determined on Sunday when Afghanistan take on New Zealand. A win for Afghanistan will mean that India will know how to win against Namibia and enter the semi-finals when no one expected them to. A New Zealand victory, though, will knock India out of the tournament.

But if Afghanistan score 150 defeat New Zealand by:

1 run, then India need to just beat Namibia.

10 runs, then India need to win by 3 or more runs.

20 runs, then India need to win by 12 or more runs.

30 runs, then India need to win by 22 or more runs.

50 runs, then India need to win by 40 or more runs.